Brian Williams visited "The Late Show" with David Letterman last night and at the end of their discussion — in which they talked about his appearance on SNL and what it's like to moderate a Presidential debate — Letterman switched gears to discuss America's standing in the world. Both Letterman and Williams are troubled by America's decreased standing in the world, though Williams has hope that whatever damage has been done can be overturned:
"I have grown almost despondent about the perception and the position and the perception of the position of the United States in the world," Letterman said to Williams. "And it seems to me that such damage has been done and is continuing to be done that it likely will never be unraveled."
Williams recounted a story from a recent trip to Scotland, where his daughter's theater company was heckled in the streets by the British, and claimed that Brits heckling Americans would not have happened years ago. "It is not unfixable, however," he told Letterman. "There is a reservoir of goodwill — as you know, having traveled — for Americans, but it is tough. There's some work to do."
Williams continued, explaining that he was encouraged by a recent visit to Africa. "I see those bags of food that still say, A gift of the people of the United States. And that's meaningful. That means something to me getting off the plane, it means something to the people for whom that's going to make the difference between life and death.
"So I think it is reparable. That's what I'd tell you. I'm similarly depressed by what I see and I travel overseas a lot and I hear it a lot from people."
Video From CBS, 3/26