>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP AND CHAIRMAN KIM ARRIVED IN HANOI, VIETNAM,
FOR THEIR SECOND SUMMIT EARLIER
TO WARM RECEPTIONS AND RED
CARPETS, BUT IT’S HARD TO THINK
THE PRESIDENT ISN’T THE
SLIGHTEST BIT DISTRACTED BY
WHAT’S HAPPENING BACK AT HOME
WITH HIS FORMER FIXER ON CAPITOL
HILL TODAY.
HILL TODAY. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" NOTES OF
THE KIM AND COHEN SPLIT SCREEN,
"THE CLASHING NARRATIVES FOLLOW
WHAT HAS BECOME A FRUSTRATING
PATTERN FOR MR. TRUMP IN WHICH
SOME OF HIS BIGGEST MOMENTS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE HAVE
BEEN OVERTAKEN BY EVENTS AT
HOME.
HOME. FOREIGN TRIPS MARK CRITICAL
MOMENTS FOR EVERY PRESIDENT, BUT
FOR A PRESIDENT IN SEARCH OF
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT HIS CLAIMS
THAT HE HAS STRENGTHENED THE
UNITED STATES’ POSITION IN THE
WORLD, THEY HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN
THE SUCCESSES HE HOPED TO
PORTRAY" WHICH MEANS THE STAKES
FOR THIS SUMMIT ARE EVEN HIGHER
AS NBC REPORTS, "FOR A PRESIDENT
FACING BOTH TURMOIL AT HOME AND
PRESSURE ABROAD, WARN OF HIS
FAIL YOU TO EXTRACT CONCESSIONS
AT THE LAST KIM SUMMIT, OR AT
LEAST THE APPEARANCE OF FAILURE
MAY NOT BE AN OPTION.
EVERYBODY IS BACK.
THESE ARE ALWAYS HIGH STAKES
UNDERTAKINGS FOR A PRESIDENT BUT
THEY’RE USUALLY DONE --
ACTUALLY, TO BE TOTALLY HONEST,
THEY’RE USUALLY PRECOOKED.
THERE’S USUALLY NO SUSPENSE.
YOU WALK INTO A BILAT, A
COMMUNICATION WORKED OUT WITH
YOUR CABINET.
YOUR CABINET. THIS PRESIDENT’S CABINET HAS
BEEN LEAKING TO THE MEDIA, WE’RE
GRATEFUL FOR IT, THAT THEY’RE
REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEY’RE
SQUEEZED OUT.
SQUEEZED OUT. THE SUMMIT WILL BE TRUMP AND KIM
AND THEIR TRANSLATORS.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. A LOT.
A LOT. EXACTLY.
EXACTLY. THE STAKES ARE SO HIGH THIS TIME
AROUND AND CAN’T FLATTER YOUR
WAY INTO A NUCLEAR PEACE DEAL
WITH NORTH KOREA.
IS A
IS A WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR IN LEAKS
AND THE WAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
HANDLES HIMSELF, HE LOVES TO
DEAL WITH STRONGMEN BY FLAT
FLATTERING THEM.
FLATTERING THEM. HE EVEN SAID PREVIOUSLY HIM AND
KING JONG-UN FELL IN LOVE.
HE CHANGED HIS RHETORIC NOT
CALLING HIM ROCKET MAN.
THAT’S NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING
DONE.
DONE. THERE’S NO ONE IN GOVERNMENT WHO
IS CONVINCED EITHER CHINA OR
NORTH CREE RAKOREA ARE GOING TO
OR DO SWEEPING THINGS PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS GOING TO SAY HE WANTS
THEM TO DO.
>> NO, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO DO
IT, BUT I’VE BEEN SORT OF ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THIS ALL ALONG
BECAUSE I THINK IT’S FINE.
IF HE WANTS -- IF HE’S GOING TO
MEET WITH KIM RATHER THAN HAVE
THEM SNARL AT EACH OTHER, YOU
KNOW, LITTLE ROCKET MAN, YOU
KNOW, THE GREAT SATAN, THAT SORT
OF THING.
OF THING. >> MY BUTTON IS BIGGER THAN YOUR
BUTTON.
BUTTON. >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. I WOULD RATHER HAVE THEM, YOU
KNOW, GO TO SINGAPORE, GO TO
VIETNAM, HAVE A MEETING.
HUG IT OUT.
YOU KNOW, AND IT’S NOT GOING TO
ACCOMPLISH WHAT THE PRESIDENT
SAID IT’S GOING TO ACCOMPLISH.
EVEN THOUGH HE WILL CLAIM IT
HAS.
HAS. IT’S NOT GOING TO CONVINCE KIM
TO GIVE UP HIS NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
HE’S NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
I AGREE WITH THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
TAKE CONCRETE STEPS THAT COULD
POTENTIALLY MAKE IT SEEM SAFER
TO LIVE WITH THE EXISTING NORTH
KOREAN THREAT.
KOREAN THREAT. NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE LIMITS ON
THE MISSILES OR WHATEVER THAT
ARE --
ARE -- >> WHY HAVE THE MEETING, THEN?
>> WHY HAVE THE MEETING?
BECAUSE IF THEY WEREN’T HAVING
THE MEETING, THEY WOULD BE, YOU
KNOW, WHOSE BUTTON IS BIGGER AND
I THINK THAT’S A MORE DANGEROUS
SITUATION.
SITUATION. SO THIS IS A HOLDING ARKS INGING
WILL WAIT FOR ACTUAL DIPLOMACY.
>> WHY HAVING THE MEETING,
THEY’RE TWO REALITY STARS USEING
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. KIM JONG-UN BASICALLY, 300 AT --
HE WAS DRIVING A CAR.
HE’S CREATED THIS MYTHOLOGY AS
IS TRUMP.
IS TRUMP. WHAT TRUMP IS DOING -- IT’S
ACTUALLY MORE DANGEROUS.
YOUR PRESIDENT -- KIND OF HIS
BIG MISTAKE WAS SAYING THERE
WERE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
OR WEREN’T.
OR WEREN’T. ACTUALLY MORE DANGEROUS TO SAY
THERE AREN’T WHEN THERE ARE.
WHICH IS KIND OF IRONIC.
TO GENE’S POINT, OF COURSE HE’S
NEVER GOING TO GIVE UP THE
MISSILES.
MISSILES. CAN CALL GADHAFI, GUESS I CAN’T
CALL GADHAFI ABOUT THAT.
HE OWNS A COUNTRY.
HE’S NOT EVER COMMITTING HARRY
CARY.
CARY. I WOULD TELL THEM NOT TO GIVE IT
UP.
UP. TRUMP GETS THEIR KABUKI THEATER.
COMES AWAY, THINGS ARE BETTER,
WE’RE BUDDIES.
WE’RE BUDDIES. IT’S A REALITY SHOW ON BOTH
SIDES.
SIDES. >> AARON BLAKE, TO ME AS A
FORMER STAFFER, IT REVEALS THE
LIMITS OF JOHN BOLTON’S MIKE
POMPEO’S POWER.
POMPEO’S POWER. THEY CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
I THINK IN THEIR MIND THEY
PROBABLY HAVE PENCE DOWN DOING
THE REAL DIPLOMACY TRYING TO GET
WHAT THEY VIEW AS A BAD AND
DANGEROUS LEADER IN VENEZUELA
AND THE FACT, THOUGH, THAT THIS
IS HOW LOW THE BAR -- THAT THIS
IS VIEWED, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE
JOHN BOLTON, MIKE POMPEO, AND
YOUEUGENE HAVE COME TO THE SAME
CONCLUSION, WHO CARES, LET THEM
SIT IN THE ROOM, PLAY PING-PONG.
THAT THEY’VE COME TO THAT
CONCLUSION IS SUCH A STAGGERING,
A STAGGERING PUBLIC FACING PIECE
OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY DON’T KNOW
WHAT TO DO WITH THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF.
CHIEF. >> YEAH, I THINK THAT ONLY GOES
SO FAR, THOUGH.
IT WORKS RIGHT NOW WHILE THESE
ARE NEGOTIATIONS, WHILE IT
DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THE NORTH
KOREANS ARE READY TO ACTUALLY
GIVE IN, IT WORKS UP UNTIL THE
PRESIDENT DECIDES THAT HE WANTS
TO MAKE A DEAL.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PRESIDENT
THINKS THAT WHAT KIM JONG-UN HAS
TOLD HIM IS GOOD ENOUGH?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE STARTS
TALKING ABOUT HOW HE WANTS TO
RELAX SANCTIONS, WHICH IS, BY
THE WAY, SOMETHING THAT MIKE
POMPEO HAS TALKED ABOUT IN
RECENT DAYS AND REALLY RELAXED
THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT.
BEFORE, IT WAS NO SANCTIONS
RELIEF UNLESS THEY TOTALLY
DENUCLEARIZE AND WE CAN PROVE
IT.
IT. NOW IT’S, WELL, THERE COULD BE
SOME SANCTIONS THAT ARE TAKEN
OFF THE TABLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT EXACTLY HOW THE
RHETORIC HAS CHANGED ON THIS,
IT’S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE
THEY MIGHT VIEW THIS AS A
SITUATION IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO
DO SOMETHING MAYBE INCREMENTAL
TO SAVE THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
DESIRE TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT
OF A DEAL AND MAYBE WIN A NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE AT SOME. POINT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PENCE, TALK
ABOUT BOLTON, TALK ABOUT POMPEO,
THEIR ROLE IN THIS IS MOSTLY TO
PREVENT A BAD DEAL.
AT THIS POINT, THEY’RE GOING TO
DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO PREVENT
THAT FROM HAPPENING.
>> LET ME JUST FOLLOW UP WITH
YOU, AARON BLAKE, I MEAN, WE
ALSO -- I THINK EVERYBODY HERE
IS OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT STOOD UP
AND STOOD AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES.
ABUSES. THIS IS A LEADER WHO HE KEEPS
CALLING GREAT AND BRAVE AND ON
THE CUSP OF CREATING, YOU KNOW,
NORTH KOREA’S VERSION OF BOCA ON
HIS BEACHES WHO MURDERED HIS
BROTHER.
BROTHER. HE’S NOT JUST AN AUTOCRAT, HE’S
ONE OF THE MOST MURDEROUS
LEADERS OF A STARVED, DESPERATE,
POOR, BRUTALIZED, TERRORIZED,
POPULATION.
POPULATION. AND, I MEAN, THE AMERICAN
PRESIDENTS USED TO NOT SIT DOWN
WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
THEY USED TO NOT GO TO SUMMITS
WHERE THEY BOTH GOT THE SAME RED
CARPET ROLLED OUT.
THEY USED TO NOT BRING THE
AMERICAN PRESS CORPS TO PLAY
HOMAGE TO LEADERS, MURDERERS
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. WHERE ARE WE?
>> I’M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP
BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A REALLY
UNDERSOLD PART OF THIS WHOLE
NEGOTIATION.
NEGOTIATION. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT
DENUCLEARIZATION AND HOW THAT’S
GOING TO COME TO PASS.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT RELAXING
SANCTIONS.
SANCTIONS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING
TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE HUMAN
RIGHTS RECORD AND IF YOU LOOK AT
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE MEETING
IN SINGAPORE SEVERAL MONTHS
BACK, THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED
HOW MUCH THE TWO OF THEM HAD
TALKED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN
THAT MEETING AND HE SAID THEY
ONLY TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY.
I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU CAN CUT
THIS DEAL WITHOUT IN SOME WAY
ADDRESSING THE HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES THAT TAKE PLACE IN NORTH
KOREA BECAUSE I THINK EVEN JUST
SETTING ASIDE THE FACT YOU DON’T
WANT THEM TO DO THESE THINGS,
THOSE THINGS ARE IMPEDIMENTS TO
THEIR ECONOMIC PROGRESS.
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED A LAW IN
2017 THAT DISCOURAGES PEOPLE
FROM DOING BUSINESS WITH NORTH
KOREA BECAUSE OF THOSE HUMAN
RIGHTS ISSUES.
RIGHTS ISSUES. SO HE CAN TALK ALL HE WANTS
ABOUT HOW NORTH KOREA’S THIS
KIND OF RISING ECONOMIC STAR
THAT’S REALLY GOING TO TAKE OFF
ONCE THEY AGREE TO THIS DEAL,
BUT ACTUALLY MAKING THAT THE
CASE AND ACTUALLY CREATING SOME
STABILITY IN NORTH KOREA THAT
ALLOWS KIM JONG-UN THE LATITUDE
TO SIGN ONTO A DEAL LIKE THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO
REQUIRE REAL TALK ABOUT HUMAN
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. >> THERE’S ONE PROBLEM WITH
THAT, THERE’S NO EMPATHY.
WE HAVE KIDS IN CAGES IN OUR OWN
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. HE’S GOING TO WORRY ABOUT HUMAN
RIGHTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
>> THE FORCED LABOR CAMPS, THE
FAMINES, EVERYTHING THAT HE’S
DONE, THAT HAS -- THAT WAS
BASICALLY TAKEN OFF THE TABLE IN
SINGAPORE WHEN KIM JONG-UN WAS
EFFECTIVELY BROUGHT INTO THE
COMMUNITY OF WORLD LEADERS BY
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. WHEN THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT MET
WITH HIM ON AN EQUAL LEVEL, HE
LEGITIMIZED HIM IN A VERY
IMPORTANT WAY, AND SO NOW OTHER
WORLD LEADERS HAVE, YOU KNOW,
PUTIN WANTS TO MEET WITH HIM.
>> OF COURSE HE DOES.
>> HE’S HAD A COUPLE L MEETINGS