Cardi B, David Letterman in Hyde Park: Why Netflix interview show visited FDR Library

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum’s next guest needs no introduction.

But, an explanation may be in order.

An episode of the fourth season of Netflix’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman,” which debuted on the streaming service Friday, was filmed partially at the historic site in Hyde Park.

Letterman’s guest is Grammy Award-winning rapper and songwriter Cardi B. You may know her from such songs as “WAP,” “I Like It” and “Bodak Yellow.” What you may not know is her affinity for the 32nd president of the United States.

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Cardi B has been outspoken about her admiration for Roosevelt specifically, and her interest in politics and presidents in general.

“I have a couple of reasons why I love FDR,” she said in a 2019 sit-down with then-Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders for his campaign. “He became a president when America was in one of its worst times. And not only are you going through a depression, but you’re also going through World War II. So, you’re trying to fix the economy while you have to fund a war. So, for me to know that a president did that, I mean, come on now, he did the New Deal. Like, that’s the reason we have Social Security.

“I love him,” she said. “He’s my favorite.”

Each episode of Letterman’s show features a traditional sit-down interview interspersed with video clips of the former “Late Show” host walking and talking with his guest through and area of significance for them. Often, it’s the celebrity’s home or hometown.

For Cardi B the production chose a Bronx deli and the FDR site, though the interview marked her first time visiting, according to Clifford Laube, public program specialist for the library and museum.

Laube said Letterman has visited, unannounced, “at least a couple times before,” with the last time being in 2019 to see an exhibition on D-Day.

The interview with Cardi B was in the late afternoon of Jan. 28, with Letterman and Cardi B visiting both the library and museum, and the nearby National Historic Site.

Laube said the pair “explored the Museum mostly on their own, and at their own pace. Library Acting Director William Harris went along as a guide and to answer any questions” off-camera. Beyond the rapper’s interest in FDR, which Laube said the staff was aware of before the visit, they are not aware of any deeper reason why the site was picked for the interview.

Harris said they were “delighted” by the celebrity visit. “We always appreciate when our friends highlight current connections to the Roosevelt story and invite their audiences to engage with us.”

Opened in 1941, the library and museum became the first Presidential Library in America. In addition to artifacts, archives and interactive features, the site also features temporary in-depth exhibits, such as the current feature at museum looking at the final year of Roosevelt’s presidency and life. The historic site, meanwhile, is FDR’s birthplace, home and burial place, one of several historic sites in the area operated by the National Park Service.

Cardi B, even before gaining mainstream popularity five years ago, has been a vocal proponent of social justice causes, sometimes clashing with conservative pundits and with others on social media. A supporter of both Sanders and President Joe Biden’s campaigns, Cardi B has also indicated she may want to run for office in the future, herself. In January, she offered to pay the burial costs for the 17 people killed in a high-rise fire in the Bronx, where she grew up.

"My Next Guest" premiered in 2018, three years after Letterman, 75, retired from "Late Show." The Netflix series, in its description, offers a deep-dive into celebrities' personal lives, combining “humor, curiosity, and in-depth conversations with extraordinary people.”

Letterman has interviewed a diverse range of figures through the first three seasons, such as President Barack Obama, Melinda Gates, Dave Chappelle and Lizzo.

The fourth season, which was released in its entirety Friday, is set to include Billie Eilish, Kevin Durant, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Smith and Ryan Reynolds. But while a clip from the fourth season shows Letterman speaking with Reynolds in the “Deadpool” actor’s home, the Cardi B episode will put the spotlight on Hyde Park and Roosevelt.

"President Franklin D. Roosevelt's life and legacy continue to be an inspiration to people across the nation. We are thrilled that Mr. Letterman and Cardi B connected with the President's messages of freedom and human rights,” said Amy Bracewell, superintendent of the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt-Van Buren National Historic Sites. “Like they experienced during their visit, there is nothing as powerful as being in his home and presidential library and stepping into his world."

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Cardi B, David Letterman visited FDR Library, Museum for Netflix show