WITH THAN THE LEADERS
>>> YOU CAN’T WAIT -- I KNOW
MOST OF YOU YOU CAN’T WAIT TO
GET TO WORK.
THAT’S THE WAY I FEEL.
AND YOUR JOB IS MUCH MORE
PLEASANT THAN MINE.
THAT I CAN GUARANTEE.
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO GO
THROUGH WITH THESE PEOPLE.
THEY SAID TO ME, SIR, A FRIEND
OF MINE, VERY SMART, VERY
SUCCESSFUL PERSON, USED TO CALL
ME DONALD, NOW HE CALLS ME SIR.
HE SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, I SAID
CALL ME DONALD, I CAN’T.
MR. PRESIDENT, WHICH IS THE
TOUGHEST NATION TO DEAL WITH?
IS IT CHINA?
IS IT POSSIBLY RUSSIA?
IS IT MAYBE NORTH KOREA?
I SAID, NO THE TOUGHEST NATION
TO DEAL WITH ARE THE DEMOCRATS
IN THE USA.
THE DEMOCRATS IN THE USA ARE
MUCH TOUGHER TO DEAL WITH THAN
ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WE DEAL
WITH.
THEY’RE FAR MORE UNREASONABLE
AND THEY’RE, ACTUALLY, A LITTLE
CRAZY.
>> A LITTLE CRAZY.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP YESTERDAY
SPEAKING TO WORKERS AT A
WISCONSIN SHIPYARD.
IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND HE’S
NEVER KIDDING.
JOINING US NOW PRESIDENT OF THE
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS AND
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "THE WORLD A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION," RICHARD
HAAS.
ALSO WITH US FORMER UNDER
SECRETARY OF STATE RICK STENGEL.
HIS BOOK ENTITLED "INFORMATION
WARS" HOW WE LOST THE GLOBAL
BATTLE AGAINST DISINFORMATION
AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
>> A FEW THINGS TO POINT OUT
THERE.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS -- LET’S
PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN KNOW HE
HATES HIS JOB.
>> HATES IT.
>> I FIND IT FASCINATING THE GUY
THAT FLIES AROUND ON AIR FORCE
ONE AND HAS SERVANTS AT HIS BECK
AND CALL ALL DAY TALKS TO
WORKERS IN A SHIPYARD ABOUT HOW
MUCH HARDER HIS JOB IS THAN
THEIR JOBS.
THAT, OBVIOUSLY, SPEAKS FOR
ITSELF.
BUT RICHARD HAAS, I’LL BEGIN
WITH YOU.
THE PRESIDENT HAD A BUSY DAY
YESTERDAY.
TALKING ABOUT REIMPLEMENTING
STOCK AND FRISK IN THE MIDDLE OF
A CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT P
TALKING ABOUT OVERTURNING THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN THE
MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
TALKING ABOUT ABOLISHING THE
PREEXISTING CONDITION
PROTECTIONS THAT ARE
OVERWHELMINGLY POPULAR IN THIS
COUNTRY.
AND TALKING ABOUT HATING HIS
JOB.
BUT THEN SAYING THAT THE
DEMOCRATS ARE ACTUALLY MORE
UNREASONABLE AND WORSE THAN
DICTATORS IN NORTH KOREA,
RUSSIA, OR CHINA.
I REMEMBER WHEN HARRY REED
CRITICIZED GEORGE W. BUSH WHEN
HE WAS IN RUSSIA AND I
CRITICIZED HARRY REED FOR SIX
MONTHS TO A YEAR FOR THAT
BECAUSE I DIDN’T THINK YOU
ATTACKED A PRESIDENT WHEN HE WAS
NEGOTIATING OVER SEAS, HERE
THOUGH, HERE’S A PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES COMPARING
AMERICAN PUBLIC SERVANTS
UNFAVORABLY TO KIM JONG-UN.
ARE THERE ANY PARALLELS IN
AMERICAN HISTORY TO THIS?
>> NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE ARE NO
PARALLELS TO A PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
BY THE WAY, DEALING WITH
DEMOCRATS OR ANYBODY IN A
DEMOCRACY IS MEANT TO BE
DIFFICULT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FRAMERS WAS
NOT TO MAKE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
EFFICIENT OR EASY.
IT WAS TO MAKE IT CAREFUL AND
FAIR.
AND TO PROVIDE CHECKS AND
BALANCES.
AND PLACES WHERE POLITICS ARE
NOT DIFFICULT, LIKE NORTH KOREA,
ARE BASICALLY A GIANT
CONCENTRATION CAMP WHERE PEOPLE
GET KILLED WITH IMPUNITY.
IT MAY BE QUOTE/UNQUOTE EASY TO
DEAL WITH A DICTATOR BUT I DON’T
SEE MUCH IN THE WAY OF RESULTS.
NORTH KOREA HAS MORE NUCLEAR
WEAPONS AND MISSILES THAN IT HAD
WHEN THE PRESIDENT CAME INTO
OFFICE.
RUSSIA IS STILL PARKED IN
UKRAINE, ACTIVELY USING FORCE IN
THE MIDDLE EAST.
CHINA IS NOW PRESSURING INDIA,
PRESSURING VIETNAM, PRESSURING
JAPAN, TAIWAN.
SO IT MAY BE QUOTE/UNQUOTE EASY
IN TERMS OF SOCIALLY MEETING BUT
I DON’T SEE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE
WAY OF RESULTS.
>> AND AS JOHN BOLTON WROTE IN
HIS BOOK, REVEALED TO ALL OF US,
DONALD TRUMP IS A MAN FAR MORE
COMFORTABLE TALKING TO DICTATORS
AND GIVING DICTATEORS SWEET HEAR
DEALS THAN HE IS DEALING WITH
DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LEADERS.
JONATHAN LEMIRE WITH THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS IS WITH US AND
HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU, RICK
STENGEL.
JONATHAN?
>> RICK, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
LET’S SWITCH TO EUROPE FOR A
SECOND AND I WANTED TO GET YOUR
REACTION TO TWO THINGS HAPPENING
THIS WEEK OR SO.
FIRST OF ALL, THE PRESIDENT
ANNOUNCED -- NOT DONE BUT THE
IDEA HE’S GOING TO BE SHIFTING A
LOT OF TROOPS FROM GERMANY TO
POLAND.
I WAS IN THE ROSE GARDEN THIS
WEEK WHEN HE STOOD AND TALKED
ABOUT THAT.
BUT SECONDLY, THE EU WHEN IT
LOSES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR
THEIR BORDERS ALLOWING TRAVELERS
TO MOVE BETWEEN THEM BUT MAY NOT
UNITED STATES ON THAT LIST.
TRAVELERS OF THE UNITED STATES,
LIKE THOSE FROM RUSSIA, BRAZIL,
OTHER HOT SPOTS, WOULD NOT BE
ABLE TO COME TO EUROPE.
TELL US WHAT THAT MEANS ABOUT
HOW THE PRESIDENT HAS HANDLED
THE PANDEMIC ON THESE SHORES.
>> THANKS, JONATHAN.
I’LL START WITH YOUR FIRST
QUESTION ABOUT REDUCING TROOPS
IN GERMANY.
THIS IS THE DREAM OF VLADIMIR
PUTIN TO TRY TO PUT DISTANCE
BETWEEN GERMANY AND AMERICA.
THIS IS WHAT HE NEVER THOUGHT IN
HIS ENTIRE LIFETIME THERE WOULD
BE AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT THAT
WOULD GET CROSSWISE WITH THE
HEAD OF GERMANY, PULL AMERICAN
TROOPS OUT OF GERMANY.
SO IT’S AN APPALLING SIGNAL.
IT MAKES PUTIN HAPPY.
IT MAKES EVERYBODY IN NATO
UNHAPPY.
SPEAKING OF THE EU, KARMA IS A
BOOMERANG, AS THEY SAY.
REMEMBER HOW DONALD TRUMP MADE
FUN OF ITALY AND THE EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES FOR NOT REACTING
PRECIPITOUSLY ENOUGH TO
COVID-19.
NOW, OF COURSE, EUROPE IS
LOOKING AT US AS A DISASTER
AREA, AS THE SORT OF GROUND ZERO
OF HOW NOT TO TREAT THE ILLNESS
AND THEY’RE SAYING, LOOK, WE
CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE AMERICAN
VISITORS COME HERE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE
LOOKING BACK TO WORLD WAR I IN
1918 WAS THE LAST TIME AMERICANS
BROUGHT A VIRUS TO EUROPE AND
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED THEN.
SO I THINK IT’S KIND OF A COME
UPPANCE FOR TRUMP.
EVEN AMERICAN VOTERS HAVE TO
LOOK AND SAY, WOW, MY GOD.
OUR GREATEST ALLIES ARE SAYING
WE CAN’T EVEN VISIT THERE
BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE
DANGEROUS .MAY BE CARRIERS OF
THIS VIRUS.
IT’S REALLY AN EXTRAORDINARY
THING.
>> AND DONALD TRUMP RETREATS, AS
RICK SINGLE SAID, FROM GERMANY,
A DREAM NOT ONLY OF VLADIMIR
PUTIN, BUT A DREAM OF EVERY
LEADER IN THE SOVIET UNION FROM
1945 TO 1991.
DONALD TRUMP IS DOING WHAT THE
SOVIETS COULD NEVER DO TO THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND
THAT IS GET THEM TO BEAT A
SPEEDY RETREAT FROM GERMANY.
JOHN HIGHLYMAN, I KNOW YOU HAVE
A QUESTION FOR RICHARD HAAS, BUT
LET’S TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS CLIP
FIRST.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT A SECOND
TERM.
IF YOU HEAR IN 131 DAYS FROM NOW
AT SOME POINT IN THE NIGHT OR
EARLY MORNING WE CAN NOW PROJECT
DONALD J. TRUMP HAS BEEN
RELETHED THE 45th PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, LET’S TALK.
WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS
ELECTION AS YOU COMPARE AND
CONTRAST AND WHAT ARE YOUR TOP
PRIORITY ITEMS FOR A SECOND
TERM?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE’LL BE REALLY GREAT -- YOU
KNOW, THE WORD EXPERIENCE IS
REALLY GOOD.
I ALWAYS SAY TALENT IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EXPERIENCE.
I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT.
BUT THE WORD "EXPERIENCE" IS A
VERY IMPORTANT WORD.
IT HAS A VERY IMPORTANT MEANING.
I NEVER DID THIS BEFORE.
I NEVER SLEPT OVER IN
WASHINGTON.
I WAS IN WASHINGTON I THINK 17
TIMES.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, I’M PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
YOU KNOW THE STORY.
I’M RIDING DOWN PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE WITH OUR FIRST LADY AND I
SAY THIS IS GREAT.
BUT I DIDN’T KNOW VERY MANY
PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON.
IT WASN’T MY THING.
I WAS FROM MANHATTAN, NEW YORK,
NOW I KNOW EVERYBODY.
AND I HAVE GREAT PEOPLE IN THE
ADMINISTRATION.
YOU MAKE SOME MISTAKES LIKE AN
IDIOT LIKE BOLTON, ALL HE WANTED
TO DO WAS DROP BOMBS ON
EVERYBODY.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO KILL PEOPLE.
>> DO KNOW, JOHN HEILMAN, HOW
SOMETHING CAN BE SO PERFECTLY
PREDICTABLE AND YET SO SHOCKING.
BUT THERE IT WAS.
DONALD TRUMP ASKED ABOUT HIS
SECOND TERM AGENDA IN THE
FRIENDLIEST FORM POSSIBLE, HE
HAD NO AGENDA.
NO ISSUES.
NO PLANS.
NO NOTHING.
THE ONLY THING HE SAID WAS I
KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AND USED
THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO ATTACK
IDIOT -- I THINK I SAID -- JOHN
BOLTON, YET ANOTHER PERSON HE
HIRED AFTER PROMISING THE BEST
PEOPLE AND YET ANOTHER PERSON,
ONE OF DOZENS OF PEOPLE THAT HE
HIRED HIGH RANKING POSITIONS
ONLY TO TELL AMERICANS LATER
WHAT TOTAL LOSERS THEY WERE.
>> WELL, RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST -- IT’S A
BUNDLE OF NONSECONDQUITURS AND
NARCISSISTIC -- LIKE NOTHING
THAT ADDRESSES THE QUESTION.
OBVIOUSLY, I’M SAYING THESE
THINGS THAT ARE COMPLETELY
OBVIOUS.
I KNOW SARA COOPER IS GOING
TO -- THIS IS THE NEXT GREAT
SARA
SARA COOPER VIDEO, FOR SURE.
>> I WAS JUST THINKING THAT.
>> YEAH, RIGHT?
THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE
CLASSICS.
>> HOW DO TO A JOB INTERVIEW.
>> WE BOTH HEARD THIS THING AND
THOUGHT, LIKE, WHAT IS THIS?
AND IT RAISES, HEY, YOU’VE
WORKED WITH PRESIDENTS.
I’M CURIOUS WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS
TO THE EXTENT YOU SEE ANYTHING
BEYOND WHAT WE’VE ALREADY SAID
WHICH IS INCOHERENCE AND ILLEGAL
LOGICAL NONSEQUITUR, BUT DOES,
DOES THIS NOT RAISE THE
POSSIBILITY IN A CHANGE WAY THAT
IF DONALD TRUMP HAS, AS WE’VE
BEEN SUGGEST ALL MORNING,
PERHAPS RECOGNIZES HE’S LOSING
AND HAS SOME WAYS GIVEN UP ON
RUNNING A NORMAL CAMPAIGN OR TO
TRY TO TURN IT AROUND, IS IT NOT
POSSIBLE THAT THE LAST THING IN
HIS MIND SOMEHOW SOME FOREIGN
POWER IS GOING TO COME TO HIS
RESCUE, WHETHER IT’S RUSSIA OR
CHINA OR SOMEONE ELSE AND THAT’S
THE WAY HE CAN WIN THIS THING,
NOT BY TURNING HIS CAMPAIGN
AROUND, BUT BY SOMEHOW TURN TO
GO FOREIGNERS TO INTERVENE.
>> IT WAS STUNNINGLY REVEALING.
TALK ABOUT OUT OF GAS, NO
AGENDA, NO SECOND TERM PLAN.
THIS IS A GUY WHO TOTALLY
OPERATES ON INCHSTINCTS.
IT’S TACTICS.
IT MIGHT BE THAT HE HAS THIS
IDEA.
THE FOB FOR HIM TO DEPEND ON A
FOREIGN COUNTRY TO QUOTE/UNQUOTE
SAVE BY BY CREATE AGO CRISIS IS
A LOT OF DONALD TRUMP’S FOREIGN
POLICY IS ABOUT NOT HAVING A
FOREIGN POLICY.
IT LEANS IN THE DIRECTION OF
MINIMALISM, ISOLATIONISM,
UNILATERALISM.
HE WANTS TO GET OUT OF
AFGHANISTAN.
SO IT’S HARD FOR ME TO SEE HIM
WANTING TO GET INTO ANYTHING
BIG.
SOMETHING SMALL, THOUGH, HE
WOULDN’T MIND AND THE TWO
POSSIBILITIES I WOULD THINK,
JOHN, ONE WOULD BE IRAN.
THE POSSIBILITY OF U.S. AND
IRANIAN SLIPS COLLIDING IN THE PERSIAN GULF, AN IRANIAN-BACKED
PERSIAN GULF, AN IRANIAN-BACKED
MILITIA ATTACK U.S. FORCES IN
IRAQ, MAYBE SOMETHING WITH THE
NUCLEAR AGREEMENT OR POSSIBLY
CHINA.
CHINA, THEY SUNK A VIETNAMESE
BOAT.
THEY’RE BUZZING DIETAIWAN.
COULD THAT LEAD INTO AN INCIDENT
WHICH WOULD FEED INTO HIS
ANTI-CHINA STRATEGY?
BUT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH
FOR.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD
QUICKLY ESCALATE AND GET OUT OF
HAND AND I DON’T THINK THAT IS
WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS AT A TIME
WE’RE DEALING WITH EVERYTHING
FROM COVID-19 TO DIVISIONS OVER
RACE TO TENS OF MILLIONS OF
UNEMPLOYED.
>> RICK SINGLE, LET ME ASK YOU A
QUESTION IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
WHAT HAPPENS IF JOE BIDEN IS
ELECTED PRESIDENT?
WHAT SHOULD HIS NUMBER ONE
PRIORITY, HIS TOP PRIORITY BE,
HIS TOP FOCUS BE IN TERMS OF A
SPECIFIC COUNTRY OR ALLIANCE ON
JANUARY 20th, 2021?
>> WELL, I THINK THE FIRST THING
HE HAS TO DO, JOE, AND I’M SURE
WE ALL AGREE WITH THIS IS KIND
OF HEAL THE BREACH, TO KIND OF
HEAL THE COUNTRY SPIRITUALLY, TO
HEAL THE COUNTRY ECONOMICALLY,
TO HEAL THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF
INEQUITIES AND RACIAL JUSTICE.
JUST THE KIND OF MORAL RESONANCE
OF JOE BIDEN IS WHAT THE COUNTRY
NEEDS AFTER THE KIND OF CRIMINAL
ACTIVITY OF A PRESIDENT WHO HAS
VIOLATED EVERY NORM.
SO I MEAN, HIS MERE PRESENCE
WILL DO A LOT JUST TO MOVE THE
COUNTRY FORWARD.
BUT GOING ABROAD, I THINK HE HAS
TO LOOK AT IRAN AND THINK ABOUT
HOW TO KIND OF REUP THE IRAN
DEAL.
THE IRAN DEAL MADE US SAFER.
EVERY DAY WE ARE GETTING LESS
SAFE BECAUSE IRAN IS PUTTING
BACK TOGETHER ITS NUCLEAR
CAPACITY.
I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
HE SHOULD DO IS GO BACK INTO THE
PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD, WHICH
TRUMP GOT US OUT OF, WHICH MAKES
US AN INTERNATIONAL PARIAH.
AND I THINK HE HAS TO MAKE SOME
KIND OF AGREEMENT WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN TO KIND OF STOP RUSSIA
FROM CONTINUING TO INVADE AND
INFECT OUR COUNTRY.
I MEAN, I WROTE A NEW FORWARD TO
MY BOOK ABOUT HOW MUCH DOMESTIC
DISINFORMATION IS GREATER THAN
FOREIGN DISINFORMATION, BUT THE
RUSSIANS WILL BE TRYING TO WORK
THIS ELECTION EXACTLY LIKE THEY
DID IN 2016.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF LEARNING AND
BARACK OBAMA SAID TO THEM, STAY
OUT.
JOE BIDEN HAS TO TELL THEM TO
STAY OUT, AS WELL.
>> RICK SINGLE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
WE’LL BE LOOKING FOR THE NEW
PAPERWORK EDITION OF YOUR BOOK,
INFORMATION WARS.