THAT RAINSTORM --
[LAUGHTER]
GO, RUN FOR DRY COVER.
GREAT TO SEE YOU, THANKS SO
MUCH.
[LAUGHTER]
HERE IS MORE FROM THE PRESIDENT
AT THAT JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE.
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE AGREED TODAY TO LAUNCH A
CLOSE DIALOGUE ON STANDARDS IN
ORDER TO EASE TRADE, REDUCE
BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES AND SLASH
COSTS TRAUMATICALLY.
FOURTHLY, WE AGREED TO THE JOIN
AND REALLY BETTER THAN EVER.
WE'VE NEVER DONE LIKE WE'RE
DOING, I CAN SAY, FROM THE
WE'RE GOING TO DO A LOT BETTER
AFTER WE DO THIS DEAL AND OTHER
ELIZABETH: JOINING ME NOW IS THE
BRITISH PEER, COLUMNIST,
FINANCIER AND AUTHOR, A FORMER
PUBLISHER OF MAJOR NEWSPAPERS
GREAT TO SEE YOU, SIR.
TOUGH POSITION GOING IN.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SAW THIS
COMING, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH
THIS E.U. DEAL WITH THE U.S.
>> MOVING FASTER THAN HAD BEEN
MR. JUNKER WAS UNIQUELY
QUALIFIED TO DO THIS KIND OF
COLLEGIAL OPERATION.
TODAY OBVIOUSLY CAME VERY WELL
PREPARED AND KNEW THINGS, THEY
OBVIOUSLY HAVE HAD A VERY
PRODUCTIVE AFTERNOON.
ELIZABETH: YOU KNOW, SIR,
THEY'RE ALSO TALKING HOLDING OFF
ON CAR TARIFFS, RESOLVING THIS
DISPUTE OVER METALS.
IS THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION OF
HERE'S HIS TWEET.
HE SAID, QUOTE: EVERY TIME I SEE
A WEAK POLITICIAN ASKING TO STOP
THE USE OF TARIFFS TO COUNTER
UNFAIR TARIFFS, I WONDER, WHAT
CAN THEY BE THINKING?
ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LET
OUR FARMERS AND COUNTRY GET
RIPPED OFF?
DEAL, AND THE DEAL WOULD NEVER
HAVE BEEN AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE
UNITY.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE
>> LOOK, I UNDERSTAND HIS
VIEWPOINT, BUT IN THE OVERALL
AMERICAN POLITICAL CONTEXT AT
THE MOMENT HE'S NOT LIKE
PRESIDENT EISENHOWER IN 1954.
IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE.
BECOME MORE CALM AND WILL -- AND
ELIZABETH: YOU KNOW -- YEAH, GO
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A FREE
TRADE ZONE WITH THE E.U.
IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK ULTIMATELY IT MIGHT.
SEE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A
SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEM BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND CANADA IN
TRADE.
AND THERE ISN'T A SUBSTANTIAL
IMBALANCE EITHER.
I THINK EUROPE THEY CAN WORK IT
OUT.
I MEAN, THEY SIMPLY HAVE TO WORK
IT OUT.
I THINK CHINA IS THE COUNTRY
AGAINST WHOM THE UNITED STATES
HAS THE BIGGEST GRIEVANCE AND
HAS THE BIGGEST DEFICIT.
BUT THE PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY
REDUCED THE TRADE DEFICIT BY
HALF, AND HE WILL GO ON
REDUCING.
OF HE'S PERFECTLY RIGHT, THERE'S
NO REASON FOR THE UNITED STATES
TO RUN A TRADE DEFICIT.
AND THAT CAN HAPPEN EITHER BY
BEING MORE, MAKING THE U.S.
MARKET LESS ACCESSIBLE OR
DEMANDING BETTER ACCESS TO THE
BETTER MARKETS.
BUT SOME COMBINATION OF THOSE
THINGS OVER A PERIOD WILL GET US
THERE.
THE DETAILS, AS YOU KNOW, IN
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS ARE
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLY
COMPLICATED, AND NOBODY EXCEPT
SPECIALISTS CAN GET INTO THEM.
ELIZABETH: YOU KNOW, LORD CONRAD
BLACKS CHINESE OFFICIALS ARE
WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO
DO.
THIS IS CHINA SAYING THAT.
THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THE
PRESIDENT IS SEEING DECLINE IN
THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, AND
THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO GET HIGH
PAYING MANUFACTURING JOBS BACK.
THESE ARE CHINESE OFFICIALS
SAYING THAT.
>> YES.
WELL, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO BE
GRATUITOUS, BUT THERE'S
HISTORICALLY BEEN SOME
CONSIDERABLE GAP BETWEEN WHAT
THE CHINESE SAY AND WHAT OR AT
LEAST WHEN THEY DELIVER IT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
DOUBT THE PRESIDENT IS DEALING
FROM STRENGTH.
IT'S NOW PUTTING UP ABSOLUTELY
ASTOUNDING GROWTH NUMBERS.
UNEMPLOYMENT IS SHRINKING, JOB
CREATION IS EXTRAORDINARY, 100
BILLION A MONTH BEING
AND HE'S GOT A VERY STRONG HAND
TO PLAY, AND HE DOES WANT TO
WANT THE UNITED STATES TO LIVE
BEHIND THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
HE WANTS IT TO BE ACTIVE IN THE
WORLD BUT ON A FAIR BASIS.
HE'S NOT A PROTECTIONIST, HE'S A
FAIR TRADER AND NOT A
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO
ON CAPITOL HILL RIGHT NOW.
HERE'S DEMOCRAT BOB MENENDEZ
QUESTIONING HIM ON WHAT EXACTLY
WAS SAID BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT
THE TRUMP-PUTIN MEETING IN
HELSINKI, FINLAND.
LET'S WATCH.
>> HAS THE PRESIDENT TOLD YOU
WHAT HE AND PRESIDENT PUTIN
DISCUSSED IN THEIR TWO-HOUR,
CLOSED-DOOR MEETING IN HELSINKI?
>> I'M CONFIDENT YOU'VE HAD
PRIVATE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS IN
YOUR LIFE AS WELL.
YOU'VE CHOSEN THAT SETTING --
>> I JUST ASKED YOU A SIMPLE
QUESTION.
>> I JUST --
>> MR. SECRETARY, DID HE TELL
YOU WHETHER OR NOT, WHAT
HAPPENED IN THOSE TWO HOURS?
>> YES, SENATOR.
THE PREDICATE IMPLIED SOME
NOTION THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING
IMPROPER ABOUT HAVING A
ONE-ON-ONE MEETING.
I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF
CONVERSATIONS WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED, I
WAS ALSO PRESENT WHEN HE AND
PRESIDENT PUTIN BOTH GAVE WITH
US A SENSE OF WHAT THEY
DISCUSSED IN THE MEETING
IMMEDIATELY AFTER, I'VE ALSO HAD
THE CHANCE TO SEEK WITH SERGEY
LAVROV ARE TWICE.
I THINK I HAVE A COMPLETE
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT --
>> DID YOU SPEAK TO THE
>> NO, I HAVEN'T.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF HER
NOTES?
>> SENATOR, I HAVE NEVER -- I'VE
BEEN IN LOTS OF MEETINGS, I'VE
HAD LOTS OF NOTE TAKERS AND
TRANSLATORS, I'VE NEVER RELIED
ON THE WORK THAT THEY DID, AND
IT DOES THE NOT NEED TO BE DONE
HERE AND WON'T BE.
>> DID THE PRESIDENT DISCUSS
RELAXING U.S. SANCTIONS ON
RUSSIA INCLUDING --
[INAUDIBLE]
ELIZABETH: SIR, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE
ON ALL OF THIS?
>> WELL, YOU'VE GOT TWO A
PEBLGHTS.
ON THE ONE HAND, IT'S ABSOLUTELY
OUTRAGEOUS AND INSOLENT FOR
THESE DEMOCRATS TO PURPORT TO
NEED TO TALK TO THE TRANSLATOR
TO CHECK TO SEE IF THE PRESIDENT
MADE IMPORTANT CONCESSIONS TO A
FOREIGN LEADER.
IT IS A PREPOSTEROUS AND
OUTRAGEOUS THING TO DO.
FROM GENEVA OR ANY OF THE OTHER
MEETINGS THAT ALL THE PRESIDENTS
FROM THOSE DAYS RIGHT UP TO
OBAMA HAVE DONE.
THE ABILITY TO SPEAK WITH SOME
AUTHORITY REQUIRING SUBSEQUENT
ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK WHAT
WE ARE SEEING IS, BE WE LOOK FOR
IT AND DO SO IN AN OPEN MIND, IS
THE BEGINNINGS OF A POSSIBLE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND RUSSIA TO EVICT IRAN
FROM SYRIA, LEBANON AND GAZA.
AND THAT IS WHAT THE UNITED
STATES REALLY WANTS FROM RUSSIA
AS WELL AS AN END TO ITS HE CAN
OR TO HAVING -- HECTORING OF YOU
CRANE.
AND I THINK YOU SEE THE
BEGINNINGS OF THAT.
BUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES WHOEVER IT IS, WHATEVER
THE ALIGNMENT OF THE PARTIES HAS
TO BE ABLE TO DO HIS JOB.
ELIZABETH: THAT WOULD BE
EXTRAORDINARY, IF THAT'S THE END
GAIN, TO GET IRAN OUT OF THAT
THEATER.
FINISH QUITE, QUITE AN
EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT.
WE'LL STAY ON THAT STORY.