. >>> SO EARLIER WE SHOWED YOU
THOSE NEW POLLS THAT SHOW AMERICAN'S FEARS ABOUT THE
PROSPECTS OF WAR WITH NORTH KOREA.
NBC NEWS' KEIR SIMMONS IN INSIDE NORTH KOREA NOW WITH A RARE
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT. KIR.
>> Reporter: MIKA IF YOU ARE VOTING FROM THE DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE OS REPUBLIC OF KOREA KNOWN TO YOU AND ME AS NORTH
KOREA, WHERE WE ARE QUICKLY LEARNING THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
RHETORIC IS HAVING A PROFOUND EFFECT.
OFFICIALS WHO WE SPEAK TO QUICKLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ASK US ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THE VICE FOREIGN MINISTER TELLING US THAT HE BELIEVES THE
REGION IS ON THE BRINK OF WAR. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN THIS,
PERHAPS, IS THE FRONT LINE. WE ARE RIGHT ON THE BORDER HERE
BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. I SPOKE TO ONE LT. COL. WHO IS
BASED HERE. I ASKED HIM, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF PRESIDENT TRUMP? HE, QUITE PLAINLY, SAID HE
BELIEVES THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS MENTALLY ILL AND HE WAS
UNEQUIVOCAL IN SAYING THAT HE BELIEVES NORTH KOREA COULD WIN A
WAR WITH AMERICA. BEING NO DOUBT THAT THE SENIOR
OFFICIALS HERE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS BEING SAID IN THE U.S.,
UP WITH TELLING MANY ETHAT HE WATCHES "MORNING JOE" EVERY DAY,
SPECIFY, THE SEGMENTS ABOUT NORTH KOREA, ABOUT THE DPRK THE
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA.
I ASKED THAT OFFICIAL WHO IS THE FATHER OF A YOUNG SON.
I SAID TO HIM, ARE YOU FRIGHTENED FOR YOUR FAMILY WITH
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
YOU KNOW, MIKA WHAT HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID, ALL MY LIFE, I HAVE
FELT THREATENED BY AMERICA AND IF THERE IS A WAR, A NUCLEAR
WAR, HE SAID, HE BELIEVES THAT NORTH KOREA AND THE NORTH
KOREANS COULD SURVIVE. THAT MIKA.
>> KEIR SIMMONS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
JOE, A COUPLE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND HERE, FIRST OF ALL,
THEY'RE SAYING WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS THINKING, IS
PRESIDENT IS MENTALLY ILL. IT'S CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE TO
SAY. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY, MIKA, YOU
HAVE A MIND MELT WITH PEOPLE IN NORTH KOREA.
>> WELL, LOOK, THERE ISS DEFINITELY A LOT LACKING FROM
HIS PERSONALITY. MY BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I THINK
APPROPRIATE TO SAY IS IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE MISSIONS WE
HAVE, IN PLACES LIKE NIGER AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAS THE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY TO EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT
WE ARE DOING, WHICH I THINK BRINGS THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR
EVEN CLOSER TO THE WAR FRONT. I THINK WE'RE IN A VERY
DANGEROUS PLACE. I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS A VERY
DANGEROUS MAN. BECAUSE OF HIS LACKING.
>> I THINK THE -- I DON'T KNOW THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH HIS
INTELLIGENCE. >> I'M BEING KIND.
>> I DON'T KNOW -- I DON'T THINK IT EVEN HAS TO DO WITH HIS
MENTAL STATE. I THINK IT HA TOSS DO WITH THE
FACT HE HAS NEVER HAD ANY INTEREST IN POLICY.
HE HAS NEVER HAD ANY INTEREST IN WHAT'S INSIDE OF A HEALTH CARE
BILL. HE'S NEVER HAD ANY INTEREST IN
DIPLOMACY. HE'S NEVER HAD ANY INTEREST IN
WHAT IT TAKES TO GET OUT OF A CRISIS LIKE THIS.
BECAUSE HE IS THE MOST INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS PERSON
THAT'S EVER BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
MAYBE MEACHAM CAN TELL US. MAYBE MILLARD PHILMORE STARED AT
THE CEILING FANS WHEN HE WAS THERE.
UNLESS THERE IS A STORY LIKE THAT, WILLIE, DONALD TRUMP IS SO
LACKS INTLEL ELECTRICTUAL CURIOSITY AND DOES NOT WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT POLICY, REFUSE TOSS KNOW ABOUT POLICY.
I GOT TO SAY AS A SIDE NOTE, WILLIE WHO DID WE SAY OUR
DEMOGRAPHIC WAS GOING TO BE WHEN WE STARTED "MORNING JOE"?
WHO DID WE SAY WE WANTED TO WATCH THE JOE?
>> BIG ON THE PENINSULA. >> WE WANTED TO BE, I SAID IF
WE'RE B'RE BIG ON THE PENINSULA NORTH KOREAN LEADERS WATCH US,
WE'LL BE GOOD IN PEORIA, DEN YEARS LATER, VOILLA, HERE WE
ARE. >> THAT WAS A LITTLE BIZARRE,
WASN'T IT? YOU KNOW THE THING WITH DONALD
TRUMP IS THAT HE'S PLAYED THE INSULT GAME TO GREAT EFFECT TO
BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE PROBLEM NOW IS MIKA SUGGESTED WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT MARCO RUBIO'S SIZE OR JEB BUSH'S ENERGY, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT A LEADER WHO VERY MUCH ENJOYS IN KIM JONG-UN BEING
ELEVATED TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD STAGE BY DONALD TRUMP WITH HIS
INSULTS. IT CONFIRMS EVERYTHING THEY HAVE
BEEN TOLD IN SCHOOLS, SOUTH KOREA AND AMERICA ARE
CONSPIREING. BE READY FOR MILITARY ACTION AT
ANY MOMENT. NOW THEY ARE BEING VALIDATED
BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THESE THINGS, SEE, WE HAVE BEEN
TELLING YOU ALL ALONG, GET READY.
>> IF YOU ARE NORTH KOREA, NOW IS A PERFECT TIME TO MOVE
FORWARD, BECAUSE ON THE WORLD STAGE, INSTEAD OF KIM JONG-UN
BEING THE PARIAH, INSTEAD OF KIM JONG-UN BEING SEEN AS THE
RECKLESS, T, THE RECKLESS PERSO WHO IS DESTABILIZING THE WORLD
ORDER, NOW YOU HAVE PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD LOOKING AT
DONALD TRUMP THINKING HE IS THE RECKLESS ONE, DESTABILIZING
WORLD ORDER AND YOU ARE STARTING TO HEAR MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
SAY, WELL, IT SEEMS KIND OF RATIONAL THAT NORTH KOREA IS
RACING TOWARDS A NUCLEAR WEAPON, ALL BECAUSE OF DONALD TRUMP'S
UNSTEADY HAND IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
COMING UP, TREASURY SECRETARY STEVE MNUCHIN WARNS OF A
SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE STOCKMARKET IF TAX REFORM FAILS.
WE WILL TALK TO SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN AND THE HEALTH CARE
PLAN THE PRESIDENT NO LONGER SUPPORTS.
WE ARE BACK IN A MOMENT.