EXCLUSIVE: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Biden Share Message for America250

with a today exclusive part of NBC News common ground initiative aimed at bringing people together in search of solutions to the challenges we face across the country will

Jen is here she had a chance to sit down with each of the 4 former U.S. presidents for their reflections ahead of

America's 250th anniversary in July.

Yeah, I did you guys the former presidents were all gathered in Philadelphia at a private event hosted by the history channel. It's called history talks it's in partnership with our parent company Comcast I caught up with each of the former presidents on the sideline of the event. We talked about what inspired their service to our

country, their legacies and I asked him to share their messages to the American people on our country's historic anniversary. It's a time honored tradition 250 years strong.

I'm George Walker Bush to sell this where the American people

electing their leaders. I brought to say no bomb on presidents and indelible mark on our nation's history. I just Robin Biden junior do so this way serving their country. The highest office in the land. Hi dad.

What's it like to be part of the ex president club.

Well it can be boring when we're all together. I know it's it's an honor's a great camaraderie because we all shared something special. Our nation's leaders each carrying

the weight of those promises and the ideals of our founding fathers. There is a weight of the presidency that few can understand. You understand? I understand it. I found that

people are ready to help. I mean it look at the Senate for a long time in that bill and a lot of time yes, 36 years. And then 8 years as vice president. And it was it was an opportunity to

be able to focus on the things that I thought needed to happen.

What was your favorite part about being the president?

You get to meet the widest possible cross-section of the American people. Every corner of this country is just full of really amazing, hard-working, decent people. And getting that broad overview of who we are as Americans were made me much less cynical. It made me less prone to think there's an us and a day.

For some that inspiration came from the very place they would one day call home 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. At 16 years old you walked into the White House and met then president JFK what did that moment do to inspire a 16 year old kid from hope Arkansas to want a life in service.

A huge impression on me maybe realize a president even on a bad day, can do something good for somebody. That's what I took out of it. I just couldn't believe he was spending all that time with us. Everybody says when you become president that they remember it, blah, blah, blah, and that I knew when I was standing in the Rose Garden that I was

going to be there someday. That's just not true.

You couldn't have even imagined it at 16.

No. I thought I wanted to be a United States Senator from Arkansas. I did dream of doing that. I never dreamed I'd be president.

What were you most grateful for about the experience of being president of the United

States? Well, I guess it was the greatest honor of my life or any American's life. The idea that a kid from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who we were poor but were a middle class guy, could, you know, used to have a stutter, could end up being president of the United States is just kind of a story story when America is all about.

These former as they are called remembered for leading our country through some of our greatest challenges. What do you think was the most historically significant moment of your presidency.

9.11. I think historians will analyze that day, America's response after that day. It was a reminder that the human condition elsewhere matters to the security of this country. It mattered then, it matters now, by the way. But I think people want to know how the country responded. And it was overwhelming volunteerism,

starting with the military. It was an outpouring of patriotism. We can recapture that. I hope it doesn't require a crisis. But it's still latent in the American soul.

Your presidency was a historic one. You were the first black president of our country. What do you think the history books are gonna look back and say?

It's very hard for us to judge our place in history. That's up to other people. I can speak about what an extraordinary honor it was to serve the American people. I can speak to how inspired I was to hear the stories of folks out there

who were doing wonderful things in their communities, helping each other out, being good neighbors. Maybe one thing I am proud of is the fact that I think we upheld the integrity and the honor of the office and how we conducted ourselves

and how we ran our administration.

What are you most grateful for, for all your years of service and your time as president?

I am grateful that I had a chance to do what President Kennedy said everyone should wanna do, to make maximum use of the talents God gave me and to do it in a way that benefited other people. You know you can get up every day no matter how bad it is you can make something good happen for somebody and that is a gift beyond imagining. How do you hope the history books see your service?

Well, I hope it's not unlike I see your dad's and your grandfather's service as generated by making sure everybody got a shot. My dad used to say, look, Joey, everyone's entitled to a shot. Everyone's entitled to a shot. No guarantee, everyone's entitled to a shot, guarantee.

250 years later.

That's one small step for man.

A nation tested.

I have a dream.

And a democracy that endures. You ran on a simple yet effective principle, which was hope. Yeah. Do you still feel that hope and our country I do I you know.

The first time I was on the national stage and I talked

about.

I reminded people hope is not blind optimism. arises in the face of difficulty, in the in the face of uncertainty and obviously we're going through some uncertain times but when you look at the sweep of American history we've gone through rough patches and we tend to come out on the other side of them stronger. Family

members can't sit across from one another and debate. Well, we can. We can. And we have for a long time.

Yes, we have.

But what can help us bring us back to each other?

Well, I think one of the things about the 250th is a chance to focus on the common good and the wonders of this country, the history of this country, the fact that you can worship freely without government telling you how to worship, the fact that you can speak in the public square without being jailed, the fact that we have a press that's willing to hold the powerful to account.

I mean, these are all things that should and generally do unite us. I am not concerned about the long-term health of our country, because I've studied enough history to know that we've been through periods of intense anger and intense rivalry of ideas. But the beauty about DemocracyGen is that it's self-correcting. And one of the key things I'm going to try to do during the 250 is encourage citizens to participate in the process. And if you don't like what's going on, vote.

And that's how America heals itself.

I'm not sure we're as divided as we portrayed. I'm sure there's anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of the people who are on the one end here. But I think the vast majority of people are coming around to conclude that, you know, those things, they don't even think about it directly, but they're safeguards in the Constitution. I think people are beginning to realize that they're sort of being trampled on right now. So I'm hopeful that people are going to begin to

say, whoa, whoa, whoa, we got to slow this thing up. We're coming to the 250th anniversary of the country, and for me, I think it reminds people that democracies depend on certain basic rules.

In 1993, when you became president, my grandfather left you a letter. What did that letter mean?

It meant the world because it basically said, we had a tough campaign, it's over, you won, and I wish you well because you're all our president now. And your success is America's and every American's, so I really wish you

well."

I kept that letter close at hand for years after I read it. I was just so touched by it. And then when your dad was elected, I wrote him a letter that said basically the same thing.

What do you think we can learn from that in this moment in history?

That America is bigger than anybody's personal hopes and dreams.

For the American people, sometimes it's the smallest gestures that have the biggest impact.

I get a Lancey is I'm sure you know. And I say next to Michelle that's what happened as to us it makes it funerals and that's kind of teasing and stuff and I slipped or now toyed not as a joke, but I thought she might want and I got the car after he said you're trending.

I didn't know what trending meant. And it turns out the country is starved to see a white, center-right Republican and an African-American, center-left Democrat having fun and being able to converse not as political figures but as citizens and I intend to continue to try to do that.

Our next chapter filled with the same passion and determination on all sides. To hold close to the principles that built America. And made her strong. As we're celebrating 250 years of our democracy, what message do you have to Americans?

Remember what's best in us. The basic principle upon which this country was founded, which is we don't have rulers, we don't have kings or monarchs or aristocracies, we have citizens. And if we hold true to that idea, that we the people have been gifted this chance of self-government, if we pay attention to our responsibilities and our duties.

And if we extend respect and thoughtfulness to our fellow citizens, even if we disagree with them, if we understand that part of this democratic project is to sort through our differences in peaceful, legal ways, then I'm confident that we're going to have another 250-year run that's going to be just as good.

The country will survive as much by the process, by the freedom to speak, by the freedom to vote, by the freedom to be active in politics, as by any particular issue.

And because it's like it is, be active in politics as by any particular issue.

And because it's like it is, compromise is essential. We're the most unique country in the world. Most unique country in the world in the sense that we really do think democracy is dictated by the rules of the Constitution. And we do believe, and we act, and when we do, we do well, that all men are created equal.

My message is consider yourself fortunate to be a part of a great nation. Study our history so you have a better sense for what the future will be like, and be a citizen, not a spectator. And by that, I mean participate in the process,

but also love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself. See, one of the beauties of this country is that there are thousands and thousands of citizens who volunteer on a daily basis to help somebody in need. They're often not heralded,

but they make a huge difference one person at a time. And I would hope people will take a look at that our history and realize we're imperfect nation trying to be more perfect. But the optimistic about the future of the country.

What a great conversation and really I mean what an honor we I realized when I was flying home, I mean I've interviewed each of them, I know you all have to but to get to be with them all on one day they have different beliefs different thoughts they've served differently. But you know they to hear them all say I have

hope, yes, country. Yes, I'm optimistic. I my dad did say we we we didn't have time and that documentary to put this and he did say he was going to bring they're all going to be together for president obama's library opening early later this summer and he said he was going to bring missus obama creative out.

A lot of good things without that really resonated with me because I remember that moment with him and and Michelle and and it was so needed just watching

that he's right that starvation yeah, shouldn't be trend. It shouldn't be the unusual now right something that common courtesy but you know this 250 years in a conversation like that as a gift because it gives perspective and that is so

vanishingly rare. So you know also. We were all at the history talks we were in one room and they were coming back to back and we have this moment where president Clinton and president Biden were together which was great, you know because we also don't often you see them. It was really nice to see had a meet cute had that.

It was also it

was refreshing to hear just how optimistic all of them were

and still are about the next 250. Special kind of a clarion call to tell of a citizen. Yeah, you know to pay attention

to the exactly as you've got no about trending now.

No he's still. I told him he was trending when he also had that poncho. Yeah, a deal without. You guys we should mention the history talks event traditionally features former president, you know obviously to talk about their legacies and we should know that the history channel is also working with president Trump on an America to 50 project which

they plan to announce later this spring.

Well done. All right, she's going to have more of her conversation with the former president ahead in the 4th hour conversation with the former president ahead in the 4th hour

as well.