Mika Begs Jarrett: Can You Get Obama ‘To Come Back and Save’ the Democratic Party?

MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski used her exclusive interview with Valerie Jarrett — the former Obama adviser’s first since leaving the White House — to plead that she resurrect Barack Obama to lead the Democratic Party. 

“Could you do a favor and ask President Obama something for me?” Brzezinski asked Jarrett. “Could you -- could he come back? And save the party and tell them what to do?”

“Well, I think what he's really interested in doing is finding, you know, the Barack Obama 2.0s all around our country -- who are the next generation of leaders that he can support and nurture and help grow?” Jarrett replied. “How can we help get young people to think, why don't I run for office?”

Brzezinki also implored Jarrett to push Michelle Obama toward running for office. 

"I don't think that would be fruitful," Jarrett demurred. "I would encourage her to be a force for good, she doesn't need much for that, she was an extraordinary First Lady, but I don't think she wants to run for office. I think she appreciates she has this extraordinary platform, as does her husband, they're young,they're very popular, the president left office with very high approval ratings as is it she, and how do you take that and galvanize the American people, citizens, to actually work to solve some of the big challenges that lie ahead.

"I think both of them are committed to that," Jarrett added.

Brzezinski also used her interview with Jarrett to ask, "When you see the attacks on [Obama's] legacy, do you get angry?"

"Of course," Jarrett replied. "But I have to say that I -- I really try to do what he was very good at doing in office and that is take the long view and ... You have to keep focused on what's important and how to be this force for good and to not get sidetracked too much."

Jarrett admitted in the interview that watching Trump win in November was "gut wrenching" and took her by surprise. 

"But that's our democracy," she said, "and then you have to just move on and figure out how you want to continue to do what you care most about and for me, it's issues like gender equality and criminal justice reform and helping advocate for civil rights and getting young people interested in picking up that baton, so there's still a lot of important work left to do."