WILLIE? >> KELLY O’DONNELL GETTING US
STARTED IN SCOTLAND THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. CHUCK TODD IS OUR POLITICAL
DIRECTOR AND MODERATOR OF MEET
THE PRESS.
THE PRESS. >>> PLET CALLED IT A LOOSE
MEETING.
MEETING. IT SEEMS HE’S TRYING TO KEEP THE
EXPECTATIONS LOW BUT HE LIKES
THE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE
BIG SUMMITS.
BIG SUMMITS. WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT’S
OBJECTIVE, WHAT SHOULD BE THE
OBJECTIVE HERE?
OBJECTIVE HERE? >> I’VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH
AMBASSADOR HUNTSMAN.
AMBASSADOR HUNTSMAN. YOU’RE RIGHT, THEY’RE
DESPERATELY TRYING TO LOWER
EXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONS EXPECTATIONS.
EXPECTATIONS. I USED THE WORD SUMMIT.
NO, NO, NO, NO.
IT’S A MEETING NOT A SUMMIT.
THEY MIGHT NOD PRODUCE ANYTHING.
HE THEY WANT THAT KIND OF
EXPECTATION.
EXPECTATION. COLLECTIVE WASHINGTON IS HOLDING
ITS BREATH.
ITS BREATH. MANY DEMOCRATS AND SOME
REPUBLICANS HOPE THAT NOTHING
DOES COME OUT OF THIS MEETING,
THAT IT IS ALMOST LIKE THE NORTH
KOREA MEETING.
KOREA MEETING. IT SOUND LIKE A LOT HAPPENED AND
IT TURNS OUT NOTHING HAPPENED.
THE FEAR IS THAT MAYBE THE
PRESIDENT DOES AGREE TO
SOFTENING HIS STANCE ON CRIMEA
OR SOFTENING THE UNITED STATES’
STANCE ON CRIMEA.
MAYBE HE PULLS TROOPS OUT
ESSENTIALLY HANDING RUSSIA AND
IRAN SORT OF THE LARGER ROLE IN
PUTTING SYRIA BACK TOGETHER.
THAT’S THE TYPE OF THINGS I
THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN OUT OF
THIS SUMMIT.
THIS SUMMIT. WE’LL SEE.
WE’LL SEE. I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING I’M
PRETTY SURE WON’T HAPPEN.
I DON’T THINK THE CRIME THAT
RUSSIA WAS ACCUSED OF ON FRIDAY
WILL BE AS BIG OF A PRIORITY AS
IT SHOULD BE.
>> IT’S SO INTERESTING YOU SAY
THAT, CHUCK.
THAT, CHUCK. TO LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT IN
THE NEW INTERVIEW WHEN WILL YOU
PUSH FOR THE EXTRADITION OF THE
INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS NAMED IN
THE INDICTMENT.
THE INDICTMENT. HE SAID, QUOTE, I MIGHT.
I HADN’T THOUGHT OF THAT.
NOT TOP OF MIND.
FOR ANY OTHER PRESIDENT, THEY
MIGHT WALK IN THE ROOM AND
DEMAND EXTRADITION.
DEMAND EXTRADITION. >> SOME ARGUE YOU SHOULD CANCEL
THE SUMMIT OVER IT.
BARACK OBAMA AND THE OBAMA WHITE
HOUSE POSTPONED, CANCELED A
SUMMIT ESSENTIALLY ON PUTIN, I
BELIEVE IT WAS DAYS AFTER HE
GAVE ASYLUM TO EDWARD SNOWDEN
WHEN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WAS
PURSUING HIM FOR STOLEN
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY. IT’S CERTAINLY PRECEDENT FOR
THAT.
THAT. LOOK, WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS OUT
OF IT.
OF IT. BUT I THINK THE IDEA THAT THIS
ISN’T THE ONLY ISSUE, YOU COULD
ARGUE, YOU COULD MAKE THE
RUSSIAN HACKING AND INVASION OF
THE DEMOCRACY, YOU COULD ARGUE
THAT IT SHOULD BE THE ONLY ISSUE
ON THE TABLE AND UNTIL THAT’S
RESOLVED, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
>> THE PRESIDENT LOOKED A LITTLE
ANNOYED A COUPLE TIMES WHEN
ASKED IF HE WAS GOING TO PUSH
PUTIN.
PUTIN. I KNOW YOU GUYS, TALKING ABOUT
THE PRESS, THAT’S YOUR FAVORITE
QUESTION.
QUESTION. I’LL ASK IT.
HE WAS DOING IT ON THE PRESS’S
BEHALF.
BEHALF. LET’S TAKE A STEP BACK.
BIG PICTURE OF THE WEEK.
WE STARTED WITH A SUPREME COURT
NOMINEE.
NOMINEE. THEN THE PRESIDENT GOES TO
BRUSSELS, TO NATO, WAGS HIS
FINGERS AT OUR ALLIES.
THEN GOES TO THE UK, GETS IN HOT
WATER IN AN INTERVIEW WHERE HE
CRITICIZED THERESA MAY FOR HER
HANDLING OF BREXIT.
WHAT DOES THE WORLD THINK IN THE
WAY HE TREATS ALLIES VERSUS THE
WAY HE TREATS ADVERSARIES LIKE
VLADIMIR PUTIN?
VLADIMIR PUTIN? >> DO WORLD LEADERS SEPARATE
PRESIDENT TRUMP FROM SORT OF --
FROM SORT OF THE AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT?
GOVERNMENT? RIGHT?
RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT FOR INSTANCE THE
HANDLING OF NATO OR RUSSIA, THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS AS
COMMITTED TO NATO AS IT’S EVER
BEEN.
BEEN. THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS
COMMITTED WITHHOLDING RUSSIA
ACCOUNTABLE AS IT’S EVER BEEN.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES
PRESIDENT TRUMP DO TO UNRAVEL
IT.
IT. HE’S THE GREAT DISRUPTER.
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS
WEEK WAS PREDICTED DURING THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THIS WAS WHAT DONALD TRUMP
CAMPAIGNED ON.
CAMPAIGNED ON. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO THIS.
SO IN MANY WAYS HE IS FULFILLING
THE CAMPAIGN PROMISE THAT HE
MADE TO HIS VOTERS.