DURING THE COURSE OF THIS CAMPAIGN, STEPHEN COLBERT SAT

DOWN WITH SEVERAL OF THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

BUT ON NIGHTS WHEN HE WASN'T INTERVIEWING BTS, HE ALSO TALKED

TO SOME PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF COLBERT'S INTERVIEWS

WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE FREE WORLD.

LOVE YOU, J-HOPE.

>> Stephen: MR. VICE PRESIDENT, YOU WANT TO TALK

ABOUT ISSUES, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR

GAFFES.

YOU HAVE CALLED YOURSELF A "GAFFE MACHINE."

IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS YOU'VE CONFUSED NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR

VERMONT.

SAID BOBBY KENNEDY AND M.L.K.

WERE ASSASSINATED IN THE LATE 70s.

ASSURED US, I'M NOT GOING NUTS.

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: ARE YOU GOING NUTS?

( LAUGHTER ) >> LOOK, THE REASON I CAME ON

THE JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW IS BECAUSE I'M NOT--

( LAUGHTER ) ♪ ♪ ♪

>>>> I-- I-- I GOT IT.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE FIFTH NATIONALLY IN THE LATEST POLLS.

YOU'VE GOT A SHOT AT THIS-- >> THERE'S SOME TIME.

>> Stephen: SHOULD WE WORRY WE MIGHT LOSE OUR BIG GULPS IF YOU

BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?

>> NO, BUT CAN I HAVE THIS?

>> Stephen: SURE, SURE.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).

SO REFRESHING.

>> I LIKE IT.

>> Stephen: I WANT TO ASK MY PRODUCER, WHAT'S LATEST, DO WE

KNOW-- DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE LATEST RESULTS ARE FROM THE

GREAT, IF CONFUSED STATE OF IOWA?

>> SO THE LAST I CHECKED, BY THE MEASURE OF STATE DELEGATE

EQUIVALENTS, WE ARE ON TRACK TO BE THE FIRST-PLACE WINNER IN THE

IOWA CAUCUSES.

>> Stephen: BUT YOU ACTUALLY DID NOT WAIT ON THE NIGHT OF THE

CAUCUS.

YOU WENT AHEAD AND SAID, "YEAH, I'M PRETTY SURE WE WON."

THAT IS WHAT HISTORIANS CALLED BALLSY.

WHY EVEN CAMPAIGN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?

WHY NOT JUST DECLARE VICTORY THERE NOW?

CAN YOU NAME ME AS THE WINNER OF THE EMMYS SO I DON'T HAVE TO

GIVE A CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN OLIVER NEXT SEPTEMBER RIGHT NOW?

ONE HOPEFUL SIGN I SEE IN AMERICA IS THE THIRD OR FOURTH

THING I LEARNED ABOUT YOU WAS THAT YOU WERE A GAY MAN.

I LEARNED EVERYTHING ELSE FIRST, AND NOW, I THINK IT BEARS NOTING

THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST L.G.B.T.Q. PERSON TO WIN

DELEGATES IN ANY PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).

WHAT THAT MEANS-- WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU--

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND I'LL LET THEM HAVE THEIR

MOMENT.

WHAT-- WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY?

AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS ABOUT AMERICA?

>> WELL, WHAT IT MEANS TO ME PERSONALLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW,

THE VERY SAME THING THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT MEAN I WOULD NEVER

GET TO SERVE IN UNIFORM OR IN OFFICE.

TURNS OUT TO BE-- TALK ABOUT GOD HAVING A SENSE OF HUMOR.

IT TURNS OUT TO BE PART OF HOW I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

I DIDN'T SET OUT TO BE THE GAY CANDIDATE OR THE GAY PRESIDENT.

BUT I ALSO WAS OPEN ABOUT WHO I AM.

AND HERE WE ARE, AND MY HOPE MORE BROADLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW,

I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE-- THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE

OUT THERE WONDERING IF THEY FIT, FEELING LIKE MAYBE THEY DON'T

BELONG IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, MAYBE EVEN QUESTIONING IF THEY

BELONG IN THEIR OWN FAMILIES.

AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS ONE SIGNIFICANT BIT OF PROOF THAT

THEY BELONG AFTER ALL, AND THEY BELONG IN THIS COUNTRY.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).

>> COMING UP, MORE OF STEPHEN COLBERT'S BEST CAMPAIGN

INTERVIEWS.