The possibility of russian interference in the us electoral process. That is where you begin. You begin at a highly, serious level where you are protecting your National Electoral integrity. Then you have all of these revelations while tromp is in the white house. The quote that you just gave, that is in the quote that you just gave, that isina the quote that you just gave, that is in a white house document. The white house has said it is authentic. There was no question about what he said. What is interesting here is the sourcing of all of this stuff. It is coming from officials in and out of government. Most of them still serving officials and that, i think, is super important because it tells you there are people who are really worried about the conduct of the presidency and the way, notjust what he does, but why he does it and how he does it. He seems totally unable to separate anything that happens from himself. Its all about him. In the bids middle of these revelations, we have tromp going to give a Commencement Address at a university where we all know what happens at Commencement Addresses. You talk to the young people, you talk about their lives ahead. No, he talks about himself and talks about how he is the most vilified hounded president in the history of the united states. Politician in the history of the world. No one has been treated more unfairly. There is this poisonous drip of stories coming within government. In a sense, some of these officials are behaving worse than the president , arent they . No, of course they are not. Do they not have an allegiance . You presume they have some obligation to the people of the united states. We have difficulty. The fact that you use the term, alleged, it is not alleged, it is true. We all know it. You have a man thatis true. We all know it. You have a man that is not fit to be president of the us war president of democracy. He shows he is temperamental. To call the previous director of the fbi a nutjob and to do that call the previous director of the fbi a nut job and to do that to the russian intelligence agent, you dont actually have the words to describe it. For a while been white house officials sucked it up and gave him a couple of months to see what he would do and how he would react. We have created this narrative that he might be all right, he might be captured by the system, he might be modified by it it will close in around him, there will good things. It is nonsense because the man is ignorant, hes not. Hes incurious. It is observations. When he said, lay off old flynn, would you . It wasntjust wrong to do it, it was profoundly ignorant because he had no idea how the fbi worked and he hadnt been interested enough to find out. The thing with donald trump is there is iio thing with donald trump is there is no way you can get in. He is fall inside his skin. He is so full within donald trump that there is no iooiti within donald trump that there is no room for anything from the outside to get in. The only thing about people on the outside is loyalty. Mike flynn, after he fired him, he continued in private to defend him. That is because he had this feeling that mike flynn was on his side. That is because he had this feeling that mike flynn was on his sidelj think you were asking about similarities with the watergate. There are echoes of watergate in a sense that we were talking about allegations of immense corruption at the heart of the american government. I suppose it is worth remembering that nixon resigned by his own accord and was not impeached and that will give confident that confidence to donald trump. There has been so much hyperbole about the donald trump s surgery story that he has been one of those stories that people expect will end ina stories that people expect will end in a cataclysmic way almost all the time. He seems to be able to ride the most scandalous of allegations and accusations and he keeps on going. It has to be said that the Witchhunt Tom Analogy that he uses reflects his own typical language. The question is whether his opponents and those investigating him will be able to sustain the assault on him to get him out. I would contend that he will be difficult indeed and in the end, a Populist Politician like him thrives oii Populist Politician like him thrives on scandal. He has spent the last couple of years through his campaign through becoming president , turning a lot of the negatives into positives. Do you think he can carry on doing that . I dont think so. I think it is a matter of time because at the end of the day, what is at sta ke at the end of the day, what is at stake here is the imbalances of the american system. All the evidence points to the fact that it needs to ta ke points to the fact that it needs to take a certain course and the only obstacle to it is the electoral power of a deterrent for the republicans and congress. Power of a deterrent for the republicans and congressm power of a deterrent for the republicans and congress. It is worth noting that investigations into highly classified subjects take a lot of time and they are unlikely to be resolved not in the short term. Also bearing in mind that donald trump has the look of a one term president is written all over him,| term president is written all over him, i dont think he will be caring too much. That is a problem for the republican agenda. This is overshadowing everything. There could come a time when what he thinks doesnt matter, that the party will go to him and say, this has to stop. There is not only the special counsel investigation but there is the Senate Intelligence committee and the house intelligence committee. You have three investigations that are about to begin. It hasnt even begun yet. There are mid term elections and they are not that far away. That is very serious for the party. they are not that far away. That is very serious for the party. If the economy starts taking a real knock. Economy starts taking a real knock. The economy starts taking a real knock. The American Economy did rather well after barack knock. The American Economy did rather well after ba rack obama. There was a difficult period. There was this weird economic equivalent ofa was this weird economic equivalent of a fake war period where there was a so called donald trump trade and markets were going up. This is largely because people thought they werent going to be taxed any more or regulated or anything else. The trump trade seems to be over. The dollar has weakened. Is seems there isa dollar has weakened. Is seems there is a lot of debate and supporters of tromp and himself believe that Hillary Clinton got away with dodgy dealings when she was secretary of state. Why shouldnt he. It is interesting that Lindsey Graham who is regarded as one of the more erudite senators often a critic of donald trump, observed that a lot of us donald trump, observed that a lot of us here quite glad he is leaving for a few days. He may be leaving washington and they may have got a breather. There was a lovely picture. It was taken on a long lens. His face is the nearest thing toa lens. His face is the nearest thing to a little smile that mike pence has given. He has landed as far as saudi arabia has concerned and hes on the rest of the week, an eight day tour. His first tour around the world. What is important about this tour . What should we be looking out for . He has embarked on his First International trip. He has arrived in saudi arabia will go to israel and palestine. He has made out that he can make some progress with the Israel Palestine situation and that has been his claim all along. We have to know his most memorable statement was the possibility of moving the us embassy tojerusalem. Possibility of moving the us embassy to jerusalem. That would possibility of moving the us embassy tojerusalem. That would have been a disaster. He was well thought through and it is typical of the kind of headline grabbing, shocking tactics he revels in. He seems to have gone quiet with this idea. To give him some limited credit, he also, when he first met Binyamin Netanyahu, also, when he first met Binyamin Neta nyahu, he asked also, when he first met Binyamin Netanyahu, he asked him to hold onto the building of illegal colonies. Settle m e nt the building of illegal colonies. Settlement bill which is illegal under International Law and has been condemned under International Law and isa condemned under International Law and is a huge sticking point. In terms of progress and peas. This trip is about armament. He will sell weapons to saudi arabia and israel. Dc and opportunity do you see an opening here because we have had words from mahmoud abbas, relatively positive sounds out of the israeli prime minister. Is there an opening here . Without the smile, but with a kind of a quip. What is it about this american president , even his senior officials, which will give us any reason to believe that they would have the sophistication and the subtlety to succeed where their predecessors had failed . What is it about the circumstances in the middle east that will give rise to a belief that there was a significant opportunity being created now that didnt exist in the immediate past . What hes going to talk to the israelis about is iran because that is the principal concern that they have. We should note that it is pretty good news that rohani is winning the election. Possibly by not reimposing sanctions. The major game is syria. I dont imagine that donald trump wants to invest. A centre left donald trump wants to invest. A ce ntre left of donald trump wants to invest. A centre left of his energy and status in question of what happens between and the palestinians. In question of what happens between and the palestinianslj in question of what happens between and the palestinians. I think we have been talking about openings since the late 70s. Theyjust occur and then the window closes. Itjust doesnt happen. As david is making isa doesnt happen. As david is making isa as doesnt happen. As david is making is a as davies making a point, this administration is distracted. Where are these people that are going to make this happen . The first son in law. Going to make this happen . The first soninlaw. How can you talk about an opening the peace when this man is going to saudi arabia to sell weapons . Saudi arabia is a country in the world that is spending more money in proportion of his wealth into weapons. It is antagonising iran and donald trump is there to give them more weapons. I dont know how you can talk about openings. It is certainly not the piece, in my view. He would be at the nation summit in brussels and goes to sicily for the g7. He also meets the pope and will have some interesting conversations not just pope and will have some interesting conversations notjust with pope francis but he has a first meeting with Emmanuel Macron who is the new president of france. It is quite ha rd to president of france. It is quite hard to see much meeting of minds. It would be a steep learning curve, even for a it would be a steep learning curve, even fora man it would be a steep learning curve, even for a man like donald trump. He will meet them and learn something. They will tell him that the world is not as he sees it. Especially what is relevant and important to watch is relevant and important to watch is the 25th of may, nato summit in brussels. Donald trump and his View Of The World and nato is going to have a very big wake up call and the reality. We have this intriguing briefing weve had an apparently the notes for this summit are being designed in such a way that they keep mentioning the president s name to keep them interested but they are trying to keep them short because he doesnt apparently have a big attention span. What are the chances he will be back in the white house and have a Delegation Say he met the post and was very impressed with him . There is a big chance that is what he will do. The pope says, actually, we want greater human rights, except, around the globe and more emphasis on property. And donald trump says, i have learned a big lesson here. I think i will change my outlook. Or is he going to go around saying the pope is a nut job . Let us leave this Question Hanging in the air. Well, now we know. Just under three weeks until polling day, and britains Major Political parties have published their manifestos. The policies are there, but which are the vote winners . David, when you look at these documents, do you feel, i know now where they stand . Documents, do you feel, i know now where they stand . I have a clear idea when i go into the Polling Stations and i know what i would be voting for . It is important that we know the manifestos matter. This is the bbc. I dont know whether we are sold on the rules the bbc has by our abide by. We have to put in the manifestos matter. The House Of Lords stands in any way of the legislation and it doesnt stand in the way of manifestos. Legislation and it doesnt stand in the way of manifestoslj legislation and it doesnt stand in the way of manifestos. I dont think many people vote on the basis of what they think the House Of Lords is going to do in three years time will stop you could and we saw from the National Insurance debacle, but if you have something ruled out by the manifesto, it is more difficult to enact. There are a few of those things. You have an incredible wish list of things you will spend money on which someone else is going to pay for. In the tory manifesto, you have a man launch of people things that are tough. You have to learn from the brexit vote which is you are going to take up the left behind to make sure. Somebody pointed out that the word, protect, runs through this manifesto. It gives you an idea of the way in which theresa may thinks of itself. She is the oliver cromwell, the lord protector of the british people. What about the return of the state striker. Return of the state, stryker. There is an Old Fashioned view of labour that jeremy stryker. There is an Old Fashioned view of labour thatjeremy corbyn has. It is their very strongly in the conservative manifesto also. Has. It is their very strongly in the conservative manifesto alsolj find the conservative manifesto also. find it hard. Maybe like david, i dont believe that this manifesto represents the soul of the tory party. What she seems to be doing is shes casting an incredibly wide net. She wants to get the blair electorate of 1997 and get that same group of people. When the tories we re group of people. When the tories were not wiped out but cut back. What is happening now is i almost feel she could say whatever she wa nts to feel she could say whatever she wants to see because there is no real opposition. The labour party seems to be simply designed as protest to whoever is in power. They dont seem to have aspirations of power themselves. They seem to be content with trying to do whatever they can do to change the agenda of a bet. We talked about older voters and how in the past there have been and how in the past there have been a real desire to embrace because they are the ones most certain to vote. After david cameron, theresa may is offering them candour, as well. These kinds of things are no longer being given to you. You have to a cce pt longer being given to you. You have to accept things will cost money. David cameron resigned after losing the brexit vote and hisjob has been taken the brexit vote and hisjob has been ta ken over by the brexit vote and hisjob has been taken over by a remainer. One thing that fascinates me more generally speaking as how pragmatic and non ideological everyone has to be. Theresa may knows the biggest challenge Facing Britain By now is brexit. She has to try to shape a britain to cope with that. Everybody knows that she was a remainer and thatis knows that she was a remainer and that is why comparisons with the Conviction Politician like Margaret Thatcher are ridiculous. Theresa may is happy to u turn and there is no jargon. The fact is so obvious and it has been forgotten in britain. The rest of europe looks with dismay at theresa may because she is certain as to turncoat. She campaigned to remain and now presents herself as a somatic fanatic hard brexiteer. She is telling the british voters, though for me so you will give me a strong hand and this will be good for britain. The rest of europe thinks it would be a catastrophe for europe because she has been incredibly belligerent and irritated everybody. It is the country of what she is presenting to the electorate. think she seems to be proud not to bea think she seems to be proud not to be a radical conservative. No deal is better than a bad deal. It is mainly made up of worthy intentions and a wish list rather than definitive policy. As far as her vision for britain is concerned, she is quite sensible to say there is no such thing as may ism. Is quite sensible to say there is no such thing as may ism. She is not like tony blair at all and this is an modernising agenda. It is quite backward looking. It fixes into that. There is a little bit of that. When it comes to brexit, one of the important things in the manifesto is the fact that we will pay up. This isa the fact that we will pay up. This is a big thing in the tory party because they dont want the pay out. She is aiming for some kind of trade involvement which as a quid pro quo is for making payments. That suggests she thinks the manifesto is aimed at being able to take on the extreme brexiteer postelection. Sean is more of an expert on this than i am. I know you can give your opinion but you cannot. If thats how you seeit . But you cannot. If thats how you see it . I am being delphic. I see theresa may clutching the manifesto and hitting tory mps on the head saying, you stood on this, you elected it. What about her personality . Are we warming to theresa may now . Has this election helped people to embrace her as an individual . No, i dont. Im not sure she wants to be embraced and loved. All of a sudden, it is like ed balls doing Strictly Come Dancing and people seeing a side to her that they never saw before. She was asked about her childhood and she said twice it was stable. She had horses. The risk, although there is no risk because she is going to win the election, there is a risk when you do things that seem to be hurting pensioners, that seem to be hurting schoolchildren by not feeding them. This is the end of Certain School meals. You risk emphasising the part of your personality that strikes people as cold. She comes across as reasonable, sensible and careful. She knows she has an extremely difficult task ahead and very risky indeed. With no sense of triumphalism or element eminem victory. Great to have you with us, dojoin us at victory. Great to have you with us, do join us at the same time next week. Thank you all for watching. Goodbye. There is a typical spring mix of weather across the british wiles British Isles and it has been that way from the word go. Many of you have been capturing it. It was this wet in scotland. The Western Parts of the British Isles, there was plenty of rain to be had. Glorious through central and eastern parts of england. Things are set to change. This low pressure drugs further north and that allows this band of showers to sweep Underneath It across england and wales, Southern Scotla nd across england and wales, Southern Scotland and Northern Ireland. This is how we are in the first part of the afternoon. The rain is still there and there is a breeze in places. The showers sweeping in Underneath It. Northern ireland, showers aplenty. Having had that glorious start on the first signs of those showers moving in from the west where they will turn shop in the middle part of the afternoon. Southern scotland, wouldnt be surprised if you didnt find a rumble of thunder. Later in the afternoon, we are forming showers running out of the south west to the midlands. Top temperature, some in the south east could get to 20 celsius. It wont be an issue close by to the low pressure without cloud and rain so the premiership is a very dank affair. The showers just beginning to fade away as we get through the evening. That gets us off and running into a decent day on sunday. The one fly in the ointment has to be the western side of Northern Ireland and scotland. More cloud here. Nowhere near as glorious as what we might expect across the rest of england and wales. A dry and find a. Crucial fixtures rest of england and wales. A dry and find a. Crucialfixtures in rest of england and wales. A dry and find a. Crucial fixtures in the last round of the premier league. We are off and Running Sunday into monday which brings low pressure close by to the western side of the British Isles. The eastern side is dominated by High Pressure and it is increasingly warm. Watch out for some hefty showers across western areas. This is bbc news. The headlines at 12. A Grand Welcome for donald trump in saudi arabia where the us president is making his first foreign trip. He was greeted by king salman at riyadh airport. Mr trump is leaving behind fresh controversy in washington. There are claims he said that by firing the fbi chief, james comey, it relieved great pressure on him. A very public disagreement within labour over trident here comes the bride. The middleton marries james matthews. A very public disagreement within labour over trident after shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry says the party could abandon its support for the nuclear deterrent. The tories defend their pledge to cut net migration to Tens Of Thousands after it comes under fire from former chancellor george osborne. Hassan rouhani is re elected as iranian president , defeating his conservative rival in the first round