>> IT'S CLEAR THAT THE PAST SET
OF EFFORTS HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED.
I'M A BELIEVER IN DIPLOMACY.
AND I'M OPEN TO NEW METHODS OF
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THE
CONSISTENT OBJECTIVE THAT WE
HAVE OF FULL DENUCLEARIZATION.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS ARE WE
WALKED IN PREPARED?
ARE WE WALKING IN WITH OUR
ALLIES BEHIND US?
ARE WE IN A POSITION TO
UNDERSTAND THAT ONE MEETING IS
NOT GOING TO BE ONE AND DONE,
THIS IS THE START OF A SERIOUS
NEGOTIATING PROCESS.
BRET: FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR SUSAN RICE TALKING ABOUT
THIS UP COMING SUMMIT BETWEEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND KIM JONG-UN,
BOTH LEADERS TRAVELING A LONG
DISTANCE.
OBVIOUSLY COMING FROM CANADA,
THE G-7 SUMMIT, THE PRESIDENT
DID, BUT WASHINGTON, D.C. TO
SINGAPORE HERE AND PYONGYANG.
THIS IS THE FARTHEST THAT KIM
JONG-UN HAS TRAVELED SINCE
TAKING POWER IN 2011.
NO SITTING PRESIDENT HAS MET
WITH A LEADER AS FAR AS WE KNOW,
A NORTH KOREAN LEADER OR SPOKEN
TO ONE ON THE PHONE AS FAR AS WE
KNOW.
WHAT ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS
HERE?
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES?
LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL FROM
D.C.
MOLLY HEMMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR
AT THE FEDERALIST, SUSAN PAGE,
WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF AT USA
TODAY.
AND TOM ROGAN, COMMENTARY WRITER
FOR THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER.
TOM, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A
LITTLE BIT OF SAYING THIS COULD
BE THE FIRST OF SEVERAL SUMMITS.
WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS HEADING
INTO TUESDAY?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING I THINK
THAT IS CLEAR NOW THAT THIS
PROGRESSIVE STEP PROCESS THAT
THE NORTH KOREANS IN PARTICULAR
WANTED WILL BE THE CASE.
BUT I THINK ON THE PART OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, ESPECIALLY
PUSHING THIS NARRATIVE BY
SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO BOTH
OUTSIDE AND BESIGNED THE
SCENE -- BEHIND THE SCENES, NEED
TO HAVE SOME TANGIBLE PRODUCT
BEHIND THIS SUMMIT.
I THINK WHAT WILL BE SOME KIND
OF LIMITED INSPECTION PRESENCE
FROM THE IAEA IN NORTH KOREA
FOLLOWING THE SUMMIT.
HOW INTRUSIVE IS THAT?
DOES IT INVOLVE SNAP
INSPECTIONS?
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL NEED A
DELIVERABLE THAT HE CAN SAY
WELL, LOOK, THERE'S SOMETHING
TANGIBLE HERE WHICH MEANS THIS
PROCESS MUST GO ON.
BRET: YEAH.
SUSAN?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ISSUE
IS NOT ONLY WHAT THE NORTH
KOREANS AGREE TO DO BUT WHAT THE
U.S. GIVES UP TO ACHIEVE SOME
KIND OF DELIVERABLE, SOMETHING
SO PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN SAY IT IS
A SUCCESS.
WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP QUITE A
BIT.
WE HAVE GIVEN THIS MEETING WHICH
THE NORTH KOREANS WANTED.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE PICTURE
WHICH THE NORTH KOREANS HAVE
WANTED OF THE TWO LEADERS
SHAKING HANDS AS EQUALS.
SO I THINK ONE CONCERN THAT SOME
HAVE IS THAT THE UNITED STATES
NOT GIVE MORE GROUND ON THINGS
WITHOUT THE NORTH KOREANS TAKING
TANGIBLE STEPS THAT ACTUALLY
LEAD TO A REDUCTION OF THE
NUCLEAR THREAT.
>> ONE THING, MOLLY, THAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID ON FRIDAY BEFORE
LEAVING WAS THAT HE REALLY WANTS
CONGRESS IN THIS WHOLE THING.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> I WOULD ONLY DO A DEAL IF I
GET IT THROUGH CONGRESS.
I WOULDN'T DO LIKE OBAMA DID AND
HE WASN'T ABLE TO GET IT
THROUGH.
HE TRIED TO GET IT THROUGH, THE
IRAN DEAL, HE TRIED TO GET IT
THROUGH CONGRESS, FAILED SO HE
JUST DID IT WITHOUT WHICH IS WHY
I WAS ABLE TO BREAK IT UP SO
EASY.
>> SO I MEAN, ADDING TO THE
CHALLENGES HERE, THE CHALLENGE
TO GET -- TO GET CONGRESS TO GET
AN ACTUAL TREATY THROUGH.
>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAILURE TO
SEAL HIS IRAN DEAL WITH
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL SEALED
THE FATE OF THAT DEAL.
IT IS VERY EASY TO CHANGE THINGS
IF YOU DON'T HAVE TREATIED
RATIFIED BY THE SENATE.
-- TREATIES RATIFIED BY THE
SENATE.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SENATE
BE ON BOARD AND THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE BE ON BOARD,
UNDERSTAND FULLY WHAT WE ARE
GIVING IN EXCHANGE FOR
DENUCLEARIZATION IF THAT IS WHAT
IS ON THE TABLE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT THAT
WE GET SOME INDICATION RIGHT
AWAY THAT NORTH KOREA IS
SERIOUS.
THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF
PROMISING GRANDIOSE THINGS AND
FAILING TO -- FAILING TO COMPLY
WITH WHAT THEY HAVE PROMISED
AFTER THEY GET THE GOODS FROM
OTHER COUNTRIES.
I DON'T THINK THE AMERICANS ARE
INTERESTED IN THAT KIND OF
AGREEMENT THIS TIME AROUND.
>> YOU ASK AMERICANS ABOUT IT,
AND WE TOOK A POLL, A FOX NEWS
POLL RECENTLY AND YOU ASK THEM
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES, WILL
NORTH KOREA EVER GIVE UP ITS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
28% SAY NOW YES.
60% SAY NO.
AND YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE
CHANGE FROM MARCH OF 2018.
THE OTHER QUESTION WAS, WHO
WOULD GET THE BETTER DEAL?
AND MOST PEOPLE NOW, 40% SAY
DONALD TRUMP WOULD GET THE
BETTER DEAL, KIM JONG-UN 30%.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
ABOUT BEHIND THE SCENES IN THESE
NEGOTIATIONS, TOM, BUT THE FIRST
MEETING IS GOING TO BE WITH THE
TWO LEADERS AND JUST
TRANSLATORS.
NOBODY ELSE.
>> YES, EXACTLY.
AND YOU KNOW, APART FROM THE
TENSIONS BETWEEN THE NORTH
KOREAN AND SECURITY SERVICE AND
THE SECRET SERVICE, YOU KNOW, I
THINK THE BASELINE HERE WILL BE
PRESIDENT TRUMP TESTING KIM
JONG-UN AS TO WHAT HE CAN GET
OUT OF IT.
AND THE CRITICAL FACTOR AS WELL
IS NOT JUST THE SUMMIT AND WHAT
FOLLOWS IT BUT HOW EXTERNAL
ACTORS REACT TO IT AS WELL,
SPECIFICALLY THE CHINESE AND THE
RUSSIANS.
WE ALREADY SEE SOMEONE I HAVE
TALKED TO WHO HAS BEEN IN NORTH
KOREA RECENTLY MENTIONED THAT
THE ACTUAL FLOW OF GOODS ACROSS
THAT BORDER HAS SIGNIFICANTLY UP
TICKED AS THE SUMMIT HAS
PROGRESSED TO ITS ARRIVAL, AND
SO FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO RETAIN
THAT PRESSURE ALONGSIDE LITTLE
CONCESSIONS AND LITTLE GAINS
WILL BE A DIFFICULT BALANCING
ACT BECAUSE OF COURSE IF THE
CHINESE ARE ABLE TO DOUBLE DOWN
THEIR SUPPORT FOR KIM JONG-UN IS
INCENTIVE TO JUST PLAY THIS OUT
AND BEHIND THE SCENES DEVELOP
THE WAR HEAD VEHICLE -- THERE
ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE.
MIKE POMPEO AS THE LEAD CIA
DIRECTOR, HE HAS THE PRESIDENT'S
TRUST AND ALSO HAS AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS GOING
ON HERE.
BRET: SUSAN, I HAVE HEARD
ANECDOTALLY THAT KIM JONG-UN HAS
EXPRESSED A NEED AND A WANT FOR
INVESTMENT IN THIS COUNTRY, IN
NORTH KOREA.
AND EVEN HOTELS ALONG THE
COASTLINE AND HAS KIND OF MUSED
ABOUT THAT IN MEETINGS.
THE QUESTION IS, IS GETTING FROM
ONE POINT TO THE NEXT?
>> YEAH, HAVING A McDONALD'S IN
DOWNTOWN PYONGYANG THAT WOULD BE
SOMETHING PERHAPS HE WOULD BE
INTERESTED IN.
WELL, I THINK WE'RE COUNTING ON
THAT.
I THINK WHEN YOU HEAR PRESIDENT
TRUMP TALK ABOUT WHY NORTH KOREA
MAY BE WILLING TO GIVE UP ITS
NUKES AND THERE'S A LOT OF
SKEPTICISM ABOUT THAT, IT IS
BECAUSE IT COULD DRAW THE KIND
OF INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
THAT WOULD MAKE THINGS BETTER
FOR THEIR PEOPLE.
MOLLY MADE A GOOD POINT WHICH IS
THAT NORTH KOREA HAS A HISTORY
OF
OF NO
OF NOT
OF NOT K
OF NOT KEE
OF NOT KEEPI
OF NOT KEEPING
OF NOT KEEPING W
OF NOT KEEPING WIT
OF NOT KEEPING WITH
OF NOT KEEPING WITH I
OF NOT KEEPING WITH ITS
OF NOT KEEPING WITH ITS D
OF NOT KEEPING WITH ITS DEA
OF NOT KEEPING WITH ITS DEALS
OF NOT KEEPING WITH ITS DEALS.
I WILL BE CURIOUS TO SEE IF IT
RAISES ANY QUESTIONS ACROSS THE
TABLE, ABOUT WHETHER THEY CAN
COUNT ON THE UNITED STATES TO
LIVE UP TO A DEAL THAT'S
REACHED.
BRET: AS I MENTIONED WITH THE
PREVIOUS GROUP HERE IN
SINGAPORE, MOLLY, IT SENDS TWO
SIGNALS, ONE, MAYBE HE'S NOT
GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON SOME
KUHN
KUH
COMMUNIQUE, BUT TWO HE WOULD GET
UP FROM THE TABLE IF IT'S NOT
THE DEAL AND LISTEN TO SOME
LEADER SAY SOMETHING HE DOESN'T
LIKE.
>> FIRST OFF OUR CONSTITUTION
PROVIDES A MEANS TO OTHER
COUNTRIES TO FEEL CONFIDENT ON
HOW WE HAVE COME TO A DECISION.
THAT DOES INVOLVE RATIFICATION
BY THE SENATE.
THAT'S A NORM THAT SHOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN BREACHED BY PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATIONS AND IT IS
SOMETHING THAT REALLY WORKS WELL
AND IT IS ALREADY IN OUR SYSTEM.
IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT DONALD
TRUMP BEHAVES IN A VERY
UNPRECEDENTED MANNER.
HE DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THAT
THE GLOBAL ORDER AS ORCHESTRATED
BY OTHERS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL
DECADES IS NECESSARILY GOOD.
WE SEE IN NORTH KOREA IT HAS NOT
WORKED OUT WELL FOR MANY
DECADES.
THAT CROSSES PARTY LINES AND
MANY ADMINISTRATIONS, SO HE IS
LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING