THAT’S NEXT ON "MORNING JOE". >>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL ADDRESS
THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY THIS MORNING.
LITTLE LESS THAN THREE HOURS
FROM NOW.
FROM NOW. ONE OF THE TOPICS COULD BE
TENSIONS WITH IRAN.
THIS MORNING THE PRESIDENT
TWEETED QUOTE DESPITE REQUESTS I
HAVE NO PLANS TO MEET IRANIAN
PRESIDENT ROUHANI.
PRESIDENT ROUHANI. MAYBE SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE.
I’M SURE HE’S AN ABSOLUTELY
LOVELY MAN, EXCLAMATION POINT.
ROUHANI SAID YESTERDAY --
>> HOLD ON.
CAN WE GO BACK TO THE TWEET.
>> NO.
>> NO. >> I’M SURE HE IS AN ABSOLUTELY
LOVELY MAN!
LOVELY MAN! >> IT COULD BE WORSE.
>> FAR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE
WAS SAYING WHILE THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION WAS NEGOTIATING
WITH THAT ABSOLUTELY LOVELY MAN.
FASCINATING.
FASCINATING. >> BREATHING, BREATHING.
ROUHANI TOLD NBC NEWS YESTERDAY
HE HAS KNOW THENO HAS NO INTENTI
WITH TRUMP.
WITH TRUMP. JOINING US NOW FORMER DOD
OFFICIAL AND FORMER EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, DR. EVELYN MARKUS AND
MSNBC NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST.
ALSO WITH US THE DEAN OF JOHN
HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES.
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
BEAUTIFUL REMEMBRANCE OF MY
FATHER LAST WEEK.
>> THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
LET ME ASK YOU FIRST, THERE WERE
FEARS COMING INTO THIS
ADMINISTRATION THAT DONALD TRUMP
WOULD BE A WAR MONGER ALONG THE
LINES OF HIS NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER, JOHN BOLTON, TALKING
ABOUT BOMBING IRAN, BOMBING
NORTH KOREA.
NORTH KOREA. IN FACT, IF ANYBODY HAS REASON
TO BE CONCERNED WITH DONALD
TRUMP RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE
PEOPLE LIKE JOHN BOLTON BECAUSE
HE’S BENDING OVER BACKWARDS,
PAYING COMPLIMENTS TO KIM
JONG-UN AND NOW SAYING THE
LEADER OF IRAN IS A LOVELY MAN.
HOW DO YOU SORT THROUGH THAT?
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT AS WAS
THE CASE WITH NORTH KOREA WANTS
TO TALK WITH IRAN, WANTS TO HAVE
HIS OWN DEAL.
THE REASON HE CAME OUT OF
NUCLEAR DEAL IT WAS OBAMA’S
DEAL.
DEAL. HE WANTS TO CUT A DEAL WITH
IRAN.
IRAN. BOTHTON AND PERHAPS OTHER IN HIS
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM WANT TO
GO THE FULL LOAD WITH IRAN, THEY
WANT POTENTIALLY REGIME CHANGE,
THEY WANT IRAN TO CHANGE IN A
MAJOR WAY.
MAJOR WAY. THEY DON’T WANT TO SIT DOWN AND
TALK WITH IRAN.
AS A RESULT RIGHT NOW THERE’S
TENSION WITHIN THE
ADMINISTRATION, WE CAN SEE THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS SENDING ONE SET
OF SIGNALS AND HIS NATIONAL
SECURITY TEAM IS SENDING A
DIFFERENT SET OF SIGNALS.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT NORTH KOREA.
THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH CHAOS ON
THE PRESIDENT’S TWITTER FEED.
THE RUSSIAN SUMMIT.
STATEMENTS HE’S MADE.
YET WE SEE THE LEADERS OF NORTH
AND SOUTH KOREA COMING TOGETHER.
WE SEE DONALD TRUMP ONCE AGAIN
ENGAGING.
ENGAGING. HAS THAT CHAOS, SORT OF THAT
CHAOS THEORY THAT DONALD TRUMP
FOLLOWS IN DIPLOMACY LED TO
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS IN NORTH
KOREA THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE SEEN
IF WE HAD A PRESIDENT THAT HAD
GONE BY THE BOOK.
I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO ASK THAT
QUESTION, ARE WE BETTER OFF WITH
NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA TODAY THAN
WE WERE IN JANUARY OF 2017?
>> DEFINITELY LOOKS BETTER NOW
BUT THIS PICTURE CAN CHANGE VERY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. THE PROBLEMS IS OTHERS THAT ARE
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAOS TO
BUILD THEIR OWN STRATEGIES TO
SERVE THEIR OWN NATIONAL
INTEREST.
INTEREST. NOT JUST SOUTH KOREA, CHINA AS
WELL THAT’S PURSUING IT’S OWN
AGENDA.
AGENDA. FOR INSTANCE, THE TRUMP STRATEGY
HAS CREATED A FISSURE BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH
KOREA.
KOREA. UNITED STATES AND JAPAN.
THE SOUTH KOREANS HAVE TO RELY
ON CHINA IN ORDER TO MANAGE
NORTH KOREA.
NORTH KOREA. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS
VERY GOOD AT CREATING CHAOS BUT
NO GROUND GAME HOW HE GETS THIS
HOME.
HOME. I THINK THAT’S WHAT THE IRANIANS
NOTICED.
NOTICED. OKAY, WE SIT DOWN WITH THEM.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
HE DOESN’T HAVE A PLAN ABOUT HOW
HE’LL DELIVER AND THEY ALSO READ
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ANONYMOUS
PIECE, THEY READ BOB WOODWARD’S
BOOK AND THEY HAVE A SENSE TRUMP
MAY GET THEM IN THE ROOM BUT NOT
DELIVER ON WHAT HE PROMISES.
>> ON IRAN, CLEARLY THERE ARE
DIFFERENT AGENDAS FROM JOHN
BOLTON AND FROM THE PRESIDENT
BUT THE MEANS OF GETTING TO THAT
AGENDA SEEMS TO BE THE SAME
WHICH IS MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON THE
REGIME.
REGIME. IS THERE A CONCERN THE MAXIMUM
PRESSURE LEADS THE IRANIAN
REGIME TO DO SOMETHING, BACKS
THEM INTO A CORNER WHERE THEY
LASH OUT IN SOME WAY WHETHER
IT’S THROUGH SOME TERRORIST
ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
AND CREAT AS MILITARY DYNAMIC
THAT MIGHT SPIN OUT OF CONTROL
OR LEAD TO CONSEQUENCES WE CAN
FORESEE WITH JOHN BOLTON AS HE
IS PUSHING FOR A REGIME CHANGE?
>> THE IRANIANS ARE NOT LIKELY
TO DO ANYTHING CRAZY RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE THE EUROPEANS ON THEIR
SIDE.
SIDE. THE PART THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK
WAS IMPLIED HERE BUT WE DIDN’T
TALK ABOUT YET IS THE PRESIDENT
IS TAKING ON MULTIPLE
AGREEMENTS, TRADE AGREEMENTS,
NONPROLIFERATION AGREEMENTS
NONPROLIFERATION AGREEMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD SIMULTANEOUSLY,
AND WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF
HAVING OUR TRADITIONAL ALLIES
WITH US.
WITH US. SO IN THE CASE OF THE IRANIAN
DEAL THEY WERE PART OF THE DEAL.
BASICALLY THE P5, THE NUCLEAR
POWERS THE
POWERS THE NUCLEAR POWERS AND THE U.N.
SECURITY COUNCIL, PLUS IRAN.
THE U.N. SAID WE’RE GOING TO
STICK WITH THE DEAL.
IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT MUCH
BECAUSE CORPORATIONS WILL DECIDE
THEY DON’T WANT TO BE SANCTIONED
BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
BUT POLITICALLY IT DOES MEAN
SOMETHING TO THE IRANIANS.
THEY’RE UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE
INTERNALLY.
INTERNALLY. THEIR PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED
OF THEM SPENDING MONEY ON WARS
IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES,
INCLUDING SYRIA.
INCLUDING SYRIA. IN SYRIA, THAT’S ONE PLACE WHERE
OUR PRESIDENT HAS BEEN A LITTLE
BIT MORE HAWKISH THAN ELSEWHERE.
HE’S STANDING HIS GROUND THERE.
HE’S STICKING WITH SECRETARY
MATTIS AND SAYING WE’RE NOT
GOING TO LEAVE UNTIL WE’VE DEALT
WITH THE TERRORIST PROBLEM.
>> YOU THINK THAT’S A GOOD
THING?
THING? >> I DO THINK IT’S A GOOD THING.
IF WE CAN MAINTAIN A PRESENCE
THERE, IT WILL HELP US
DIPLOMATICALLY TO RESOLVE THE
OVERALL SITUATION.
OVERALL SITUATION. >> YOU’VE GOT THE RUSSIANS,
YOU’VE GOT THE IRANIANS, THE
SYRIANS.
SYRIANS. A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN SYRIA AND
YET OUR FIGHTING FORCE RIGHT
THERE, A SMALL FOOTPRINT IS
CERTAINLY DOING AN AWFUL LOT.
>> YEAH, THEY ARE.
THERE’S A CONTRAST IN TWEETS,
THE PRESIDENT TWEETING THIS
MORNING THAT HE’S SURE ROUHANI
IS A LOVELY MAN.
TWO MONTHS AGO HE TWEETED, TO
PRESIDENT ROUHANI NEVER EVER
THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN
OR YOU WILL SUFFER SEQUENCES THE
LIKE
LIKE -- CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF
WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY
HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE WANTS A
DEAL.
DEAL. WHAT DOES THAT DEAL LOOK LIKE?
>> HE’S ALSO GOING INTO THIS
MEETING THAT HE’S CHAIRING AT
THE UNITED NATIONS WHICH
POTENTIALLY THE IRANIAN
PRESIDENT COULD ATTEND IF HE
WANTS TO BECAUSE THE MEETING IS
ON IRAN.
ON IRAN. I THINK HE’S TRYING TO MANAGE
THAT MEETING AHEAD OF TIME.
THE DEAL WON’T BE THAT
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. ULTIMATELY THERE MIGHT BE SOME
CHANGES ON THE SUNSET CLAUSE OR
BALLISTIC MISSILES, BUT THE
IRANIANS ARE GOING TO ASK FOR
CERTAIN THINGS.
CERTAIN THINGS. IT WOULD BE A VARIATION OF WHAT
OBAMA ALREADY AGREED TO.
>> IF I CAN ADD SOMETHING, AGAIN
THIS IS TYPICAL OF THE PRESIDENT
BECAUSE HE JUST SIGNED YESTERDAY
THIS AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH KOREA,
THIS NEW TRADE AGREEMENT, BUT
THIS NEW TRADE AGREEMENT IF YOU
TALK TO THE TRADE EXPERTS, IT’S
NOT THAT DIFFERENT.
>> HOW DO YOU SORT THROUGH THE
PRESIDENT ON NORTH KOREA WHERE
BARACK OBAMA TOLD HIM THAT NORTH
KOREA WAS THE ONE ISSUE THAT WAS
GOING TO BE KEEPING HIM UP AT
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE
ADMINISTRATION WE HEARD FROM
PEOPLE HIGH UP IN THE
ADMINISTRATION THAT WE WERE
HEADED TO A GROUND WAR IN NORTH
KOREA, ONE PLACE THAT HAS A
50-50 POSSIBILITY.
50-50 POSSIBILITY. NOW HERE WE ARE A YEAR AND A
HALF LATER AND THE NORTH AND
SOUTH ARE TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
DO VOTERS TAKE THAT AS A
POSITIVE AND A SUCCESS FOR
DONALD TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY?
>> I THINK WHAT’S HAPPENED WITH
TRUMP ON THIS IS THAT FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE GENERALLY AT THE
LEVEL OF KIND OF FOLLOWING TRUMP
AS A FOREIGN POLICY PRESIDENT
THROUGH HIS TWITTER FEED, WHICH
IS CERTAINLY THE WAY IN WHICH
MOST PEOPLE GET THEIR
INFORMATION ABOUT DONALD TRUMP,
I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE INCLINED
TO THINK THAT THE WAY HE TALKS
ABOUT EVERYTHING ON TWITTER IS
PROBLEMATIC WOULD LOOK BACK AT
SOME OF THE BELLICOSE RHETORIC
AND NOW SOME OF THE RHETORIC
THAT’S THE ANTI--BELLICOSE AND
SEE A TEMPERAMENTAL ISSUE WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE MUCH
MORE FOCUSED ON ISSUES THAT
AFFECT THEM ON THE DOMESTIC
LEVEL, ARE MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON
STUFF THAT RINGS CLOSER TO HOME,
THEY LOOK AT TRUMP AS KIND OF
BEING A BIG TALKER WHO HASN’T
ACTUALLY DONE THAT MUCH ON THE
WORLD STAGE THAT ENDAJNGERS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IT’S AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF US
ARE FOCUSED ON.
CERTAINLY THE QUESTION OF
TRUMP’S RELATIONSHIP TO RUSSIA.
PEOPLE REMEMBER, OBVIOUSLY,
HELSINKI.
HELSINKI. THE IRAN DEAL, DO I THINK THAT’S
GOING TO BE A SALIENT VOTING
ISSUE IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS?
I DO NOT.
I DO NOT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> COMING UP, WE’LL GO INSIDE
THE INFAMOUS JUNE 2016 TRUMP
TOWER MEETING WITH THE MAN WHO
ORGANIZED IT.
ORGANIZED IT. ROB GOLDSTONE EXPLAINED WHY HE
REACHED OUT TO DON JUNIOR TO
CONNECT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WITH
THE RUSSIANS.
CONNECT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WITH THE RUSSIANS