Obama Surprises Colbert With Confession About Cable News Habit

Former President Barack Obama's answers on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert were relatable, yet surprising. He shared that he has mostly avoided cable news ever since his first presidential campaign.

He appeared to the CBS late-night show for the second time this month, but this time his time was shorter, lighter, and full of laughs. Obama answered the "Colbert Questionert" segment, ahead of Colbert's upcoming farewell. Obama's answers were frank and forthright, and revealed a different side to him.

One answer in particular took everyone by surprise.

“I have not watched cable news, TV news, since my first campaign,” Obama told Colbert when he asked him how he keeps up with current events.

The answer visibly surprised Colbert before Obama shared that he still catches “clips of things” online.

The moment immediately stood out because his comment comes in the middle of tense political stories. And with many people watching news on cable, they become burned out from the volume of stories available online.

Yet, Obama has been able to stay clear from cable news for nearly two decades, with him winning his first presidential election in 2008. And although he didn't explain his reasons, it seems that it has become a way of life for him.

Obama's appearance on the show also drew attention because Colbert will soon exit the show. Recently, the host has focused on doing interviews where they reflect on politics and entertainment over the past decade.

Obama appeared relaxed throughout the segment, and he answered personal questions ranging from his favorite movies to what he believes happens after death.

When Colbert asked him about his favorite action movie franchise, Obama praised Daniel Craig’s James Bond films.

“I thought the Daniel Craig James Bond series was terrific,” he said. In particular, he said “Casino Royale” was his favorite.

Obama also shared that his ideal sandwich was a cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard, and he also said that Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” as songs he could listen to forever.

Colbert also asked the former president what he thought happens when people died.

“I don’t know, but I accept that if we’ve lived a good life, I think we live on in the memories of the people who loved us,” Obama said.

Of all the answers Obama gave during the interview, it was the fact that he didn't watch cable news that drew the most attention.

Many thought that Obama meant that he no longer watched traditional television news, like many younger audiences do. They thought that he kept up to speed by watching political clips and social media instead of tuning in at the end of the day to a nightly news broadcast.

But this is not the first time that Obama has hinted at not watching television news. In 2013, Journalist Michael Lewis once explained it like this, per The Hollywood Reporter:

He’s already, for example, decided that nothing on cable news is worth listening to,” Lewis stated. “He doesn’t watch it. He thinks it’s totally toxic, like it affects your brain, and he won’t turn on the TV. But he does read the newspapers.”