The Tonight Show with ... Cory Booker

Completing a West Coast swing that included delivering the commencement speech at his alma mater, Mayor Cory Booker tonight appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where the talk show host and the prominent politician chatted about Booker’s early Newark career, joshing around with Gov. Chris Christie and his college football days.

Booker also once again addressed controversial comments he made on a news show last month while serving as a surrogate for President Obama, statements which have reportedly torpedoed Booker’s shot at a post in the Obama administration.

“I wasn’t at my best,” Booker said of his May 20 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, where the mayor proclaimed himself “nauseated” by Obama ads attacking Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s career with a venture capital firm.

Booker has since clarified the comments and reaffirmed his support for Obama, taking an opportunity to do so again on Leno’s show.

“I didn’t defend Romney at all,” Booker replied to Leno at one point. “We’re in this political environment, painting broad brush strokes using sound bites, not getting to the issues at all.” 

Booker also said that he has since mended fences with Obama, who he said was “incredibly gracious about it and continued to be kind.”

Booker also spoke about his football playing days at Stanford, describing them as “the greatest experience of my life,” but also said of his political career, “I knew what the calling in my life was going to be.”

Click here to see more from the show.