In the wake of a divisive election cycle, VICE founder Shane Smith visited the White House to sit down with President Obama and reflect on his eight years in office. Smith's interview with Obama—which takes a deeper look at the political climate that gave rise to Donald Trump—sits at the center of our latest HBO special report, A House Divided, airing this Friday, December 9.
The special investigates Obama's most controversial policy initiatives through the eyes of his closest advisors and most outspoken critics. In addition to the president, Smith speaks with Democratic leader Harry Reid and former House Speaker John Boehner about the 2009 stimulus package, the Affordable Care Act, and of course, the movement behind Donald Trump.
"I could not be prouder of the work that my administration has done," Obama says in the interview. "But there is no doubt that one of the central goals that I'd had, which was to make the politics in Washington work better, to reduce the knee-jerk partisanship, to elevate the debate—I haven't accomplished that."
Watch the trailer for the A House Divided above and be sure to check out the full special airing Friday, December 9 at 10 PM on HBO.