[Lemon:] Now, we have a CNN TONIGHT exclusive. My sit-down interview with the former CIA director General Michael Hayden. I talked to him at his home earlier this week. It is his first interview since his stroke last November. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talked to him about what happened that day, about his recovery, about the state of our nation and the world over the past seven months. And if there is one thing you'll learn from our conversation, is that you can't keep a good man down. So good to see you.
[Hayden:] Good to see you again.
[Lemon:] How are you doing?
[Hayden:] Better.
[Lemon:] Yes?
[Hayden:] A lot better.
[Lemon:] So, let's talk about what happened.
[Hayden:] Sure.
[Lemon:] Take us through what happened that morning?
[Hayden:] Well, Jeanine was in the basement doing exercises, and I was actually right there. And suddenly, I fell, and I couldn't get up. Nothing would happen to me. And so, I called Jeanine, but she couldn't hear me. And so finally, after three or four times getting up, I couldn't do it, I fell frankly at the bottom of the stairs. I just fell down to Jeanine.
[Lemon:] You went all of the way down the stairs?
[Hayden:] Halfway down the stairs.
[Lemon:] Halfway down the stairs?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Wow.
[Hayden:] I called and called and finally she answered and said, what's wrong, what's wrong, and then she saw me.
[Lemon:] Were you worried in those moments? Can you remember if you were going to make it?
[Hayden:] You know, I didn't. No, I didn't. Later on, I did, OK, in the hospital. But not right now, because everything was a blur.
[Lemon:] A blur?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] And had Jeanine not been here?
[Hayden:] An hour after she was gone. And so, I was there three or four or five hours, and I would not have her to help.
[Lemon:] She had an appointment an hour later?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] And you would have been here by yourself.
[Hayden:] That is exactly correct.
[Lemon: Lemon:] Do you remember what Jeanine did? Did she immediately call 911?
[Hayden:] Yes. Exactly.
[Lemon:] You could hear?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Was she talking to you?
[Hayden:] Yes, but I can't remember the details, but she was talking to me. And then the people came very quickly.
[Lemon:] Being in the hospital.
[Hayden:] Sure.
[Lemon:] In your recovery.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] What was that like?
[Hayden:] Well, first of all, two months.
[Lemon:] Two months.
[Hayden:] Yes. And it's hard and you go from the very basic things. And the people were wonderful. OK? And they are patient. God, thanks God for that.
[Lemon:] How frustrating is it?
[Hayden:] Very frustrating. And by the way, there's some things that are not coming back, OK. And so, I have to deal with that. OK?
[Lemon:] Are you talking about that?
[Hayden:] Sure. I this well, parts of my right here is very difficult. And so, I don't know whether it will be back later on or not. And so, I try. I exercise. But, you know, move on. I'll do the best I can.
[Lemon:] And you have a brace. Do you wear a brace?
[Hayden:] I have one brace, yes, on my foot.
[Lemon:] And has that come back your foot?
[Hayden:] Yes. Watch this.
[Lemon:] Wow.
[Hayden:] Which is like amazing. Three months ago, I couldn't do that at all, but here, there you go.
[Lemon:] So, you are on a recumbent bike, who do you think you are?
[Hayden:] Well, there are some people who Gabby Gifford was in to say hi to me, and
[Lemon:] You said say hi to you, but she they visited you, right?
[Hayden:] Yes. That's exactly right.
[Lemon:] And they saw you the day you were on the bike.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] And they said, well
[Hayden:] I have a bike here. You can have that one.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] So, you are a lefty now?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] You weren't a lefty before?
[Hayden:] I'm bad left-handed.
[Lemon:] But your dad was a lefty.
[Hayden:] Because yes, that's right.
[Lemon:] So that helped you out?
[Hayden:] Yes. And now everything is there. I am going, OK, that's going to be it.
[Lemon:] Can you write?
[Hayden:] Sometimes, a little bit like my name. I can do that now.
[Lemon:] Right.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Listen, I think that you still have your higher level of thinking.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] You still have your analytical abilities.
[Hayden:] I can try.
[Lemon:] But none of that, and the reasoning abilities and all of that.
[Hayden:] Yes, that's right.
[Lemon:] But physically, it's an issue.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Is it frustrating because you know what you want to say.
[Hayden:] God, yes.
[Lemon:] But it doesn't come out the right way.
[Hayden:] That's exactly right. Now Jeanine is very good at saying what I am trying to say, the kids are good. But people come and talk to me, and it's hard for me to do it.
[Lemon:] Well, I know what you are saying now.
[Hayden:] yes. And for example, the DNI would come every now and again, and we'd talk and would go all of the time, but it's hard for other people to do that.
[Lemon:] The DNI?
[Hayden:] Jim Clapper.
[Lemon:] He would come over.
[Hayden:] Yes. All the time.
[Lemon:] Yes. We talk as well.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] We have this running conversation about you in text message. How is he doing.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] What's going on. You know, it's a frightening experience.
[Hayden:] Yes, it.
[Lemon:] What do you say to people who have dealing with this, either they have suffered a stroke.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Or a family member or loved one or friend, what do you say to them?
[Hayden:] Well, you know who you love. That's really important. The wife and kids and family. That's really, really important now. The kids come over a lot. And they do a lot of things for me now.
[Lemon:] Including your grandson?
[Hayden:] Yes. All of them. The little grandson, the little one. That's right. Because, I can't read really well. And so, he'll help me with the letters.
[Lemon:] So now, did you, were you teaching him at one point?
[Hayden:] Yes, of course.
[Lemon:] And now he is teaching you.
[Hayden:] Exactly.
[Lemon:] How old is he?
[Hayden:] One, two, three, four, five.
[Lemon:] He's five.
[Hayden:] Five. I got to do that in order to do that.
[Lemon:] Yes.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] So, you know, obviously, Director Clapper wants, visit visited you, your friends, he wants to have you back.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] General, there are other people who want to have you back, I would love to have you back on
[Cnn. Hayden:] Thank you. I would love that.
[Lemon:] We would love that. And many important voices would love to have you back, General Hayden.
[Hayden:] Thank you.
[Lemon:] So, we're going to get Mrs. Hayden to come in and share some of those voices. Do you mind?
[Hayden:] OK. That would be great. Thank you.
[Zakaria:] Mike, you are the great the greatest guest that we can get, because you are always smart, you are always articulate, you're always wise which is even more important than being smart. And you have always been a pleasure to deal with. So, from my point of view, we just, you know, you are the A-team, and we just need to get you back as soon as we can.
[James Clapper, Former Director Of National Intelligence:] The role model he is setting is really courageous and inspiring. And that has actually deepened the already great respect and admiration that I have always had for Mike Hayden. Also, I'd like to say a word about the pillar in the family right now is his wife, Jeanine, who is absolutely phenomenal.
[Nicholas Burns, Former Ambassador To Nato:] Welcome back. Mike and I worked together in the George H.W. White House
[Hayden:] That's right.
[Burns:] that's how old we are, but I've always admired him, I've admired his intelligence, his patriotism, the fact that he is great human being. I know he's had a tough time.
[Jake Tapper, Cnn:] Jake Tapper here. General Hayden, I just wanted to say I'm thrilled to hear that you are doing better. We've all been concerned about you. We missed you on The Lead and we look forward to seeing you soon.
[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn:] You're such an important part of our CNN family, and we're looking forward to seeing so much more of you very soon including right here in the Situation Room. Your expertise is so vital with so much news going on right now.
[Christiane Amanpour, Cnn Anchor:] General Hayden, welcome back to CNN. So glad you are doing so much better. And I'm looking forward to getting yet another opportunity to keep grilling you on the issues.
[Lemon:] What do you think when folks do that? I know you don't like to be feted over.
[Hayden:] Yes. Well, I can do it a little bit.
[Lemon:] So, you enjoy that?
[Hayden:] Yes. Very much.
[Lemon:] It's nice to be wanted. Right?
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] You know, Director Clapper calls you the pillar of the family, and I notice the times that we've been talking and you've been very instrumental and you've been helping him out. What do you think when he says that? Do you feel like you are the pillar right now?
[Jeanine Hayden, Michael Hayden's Wife:] I feel like I have to be for sure. But, you know, I'm just doing what I signed up for. All of those many years ago, in sickness and in health. And so, it's just the way it is.
[Lemon:] What do you want people to know about this experience?
[J. Hayden:] Well, here's one thing. If you have conceded to your spouse all the financial stuff, sit down and get it all figured out now. Because, you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow and that's one of the things I have had to learn. Big time.
[Lemon:] Yes, but that's an important practical thing, because I remember when my father passed and my mom, there were things that she had never seen, and you know, mortgages and all sorts of things that she had to sort of find her way through it.
[J. Hayden:] Right.
[Lemon:] And I actually think that's really good advice.
[Hayden:] Jeanine and the kids are, that's everything to me. And so, they from very first moment, she was there, and the kids were there to meet me. And so, with that, I can do anything.
[Lemon:] With your family and your loved ones.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Thank you, Mrs. Hayden, I appreciate that. So, now that we've talked about your experience and I appreciate you sharing it. Let's talk some issues.
[Hayden:] OK.
[Lemon:] Let's do what we did in the good old days.
[Hayden:] Yes.
[Lemon:] And not so long ago. We'll talk about world issues.
[Hayden:] OK.
[Lemon:] When we come back.
[Hayden:] OK. Thank you.