Washington week on pbs. Pretty think this presidency is in the context of the week we have seen . Is another week of of people in washington. Embrace of these confederate symbols, the statues of the past is his return to his base that he remains an outsider. It comes with moral outrage from democrats and even some republicans. He sees it as part of a broader strategy encouraged by stephen fromn to turn away normsical norma and and embrace racially charged politics. Charlie this is from bannon . Asert he has been betrayed this puppetmaster behind the scenes, but my sources inside the white house tell me this decision to embrace confederate statues is a decision driven by ae president himself, president who sees his Approval Ratings shrinking. He sees the legislative agenda stalled. At this crucial moments in the summer of his presidency, he is turning to his base, turning to racial tensions in racial politics that are inflaming our national conversation. Does he have some sense of what he is engendering when he does this . Robert it comes just days after the tragedy in charlottesville. These words from President Trump, the barrage of tweets we by, it shows a recognition the president or lack of recognition about the consequences of handling the presidency in this way in such a fraught time for the country when race is at the floor. Many republicans and democrats said on thursday that the has abandoned the moral authority of the presidency to take command of the country at times like these. Charlie where are the people around him . Let us talk about john kelly. Robert we have a story in Washington Post about general kelly. We spoke to about a dozen people. They say he is trying to bring order to the white house, to have a new process of how information gets to this president , making sure calls are him beforeough they get to President Trump. He is struggling to manage the chief. He is reshaping the staff but not the chief. He stood there earlier in the week is the president had this pinball game of the press conference from topic to topic. Cohn,e what about gary his Economic Advisor in the white house . Robert every person close to cohen says he was disgusted by the president s remarks on tuesday. This embrace of both sides when it comes to white nationalists, or neonazis. National economic director. He is leading the policy shaping tax reform and infrastructure. A former president of goldman sachs. He has personally been affronted by some of the president s comments. Yet, he has not yet resigned. He sees himself as possibly someone who is a new chairman of the Federal Reserve that slot should open. He is staying there in part because of that and because he sees a chance to change policies. He has not yet met the threshold for stepping down. Charlie and then there was the family. Robert ivanka trump and jared kushner, senior advisors to the president , have been on vacation until thursday. They have returned now to be with President Trump. Too, are alarmed. They, too, have been unhappy. Jared kushner, ivanka trump, calledhn so often moderate influences. No one except President Trump dictates what he does. Charlie factious steve bannon. There have been people projecting he might be not only because of whatever advice was giving the question the president , issues that the s rhetoric went way too far, but it engaging in a fight with h. R. Mcmaster. Some are suggesting his time at trouble. House was in robert he is on thin ice, to say the least. Inn enjoined the campaign august 2016. You see him ever since day one in january navigating a white house that never really saw him as a natural fit. He has always clashed with jared kushner. Kushner sees the world as an someone who ist, ok with International Institutions and alliances. He wants to see the president move in a more moderate direction. And it has been against that. He has been one of the lone voices in the wake of charlottesville saying, let the president go out there and fight the media. Let him go and say there are all sides of the argument. Charlie where is the Republican Party . How the speaker saying intense he was about what happens in charlottesville and the idea of white supremacist and neonazis and others being given a voice and some say emboldened. Does the party have any influence . Itsrt the party is facing own crossroads. Do they deserve trump or not . Willhave a september that be an immense challenge. They face a debt ceiling, a budget. They have to find a way to get a border wall funded. That is one of the president s main priorities. Tax reform, infrastructure, they have to find out how they tackle all these issues. Do they abandon these issues and hope for the best in 2020 or no . They have to think that despite of how the president handled charlottesville, he has a grid over their own voters. They break from him and could face a cost in their own states. Charlie steve bannon said in that the idea of a war against north korea was insane. It would never happen. That is not an option, hes. Heres the president talking sense fire to create some fury and fire. And here is bannon saying, war is not an option. Robert brandon is part of the more noninterventionist group in the white house. When it comes to the guinness it comes to afghanistan, send more troops in the region. Bannon is against that kind of hawkish intervention. What bannon said to the american prospect is the truth that he finds threat private conversations that no one wants to have the blood of one million on their administration. As much as there is tough talk, no one is moving in a military way toward confrontation with korea. Look at the pentagon. They have not begun to do the things you would expect to see if war was on the horizon imminently. Charlie people are asked this question. Is donald trump it to be fit to be president . My behavior and worries about him in terms of what he might do if he felt like he was losing support. Do you hear the voice among the kinds of people you talk to about where we are at this moment in our history . Robert you hear that even in the white house and the administration. There is a real heartening when they saw general kelly become chief of staff. They hoped he and Rex Tillerson and jim mattis could be forces that kept to the president in line from having directions on the world stage. When it comes to whether he is fit to be in office, there are certainly many questions being raised by democrats and republicans. What we are watching is the unraveling of the norms that ways to find the american presidency instead of being this moral authority in times of crisis. This is so alarming for people who follow history, who follow the presidency, to see the presidency being redefined. Charlie and he takes pleasure in the notion he is doing that because he campaigned to be a different kind of president . He does. I have seen this on the campaign trail when i have interviewed then candidate trump many times many and he is so times. Populistinstinctive who loves to fight, lets controversy. This is the way the presidency in this country is now being governed, by an instinctive, 70 plusyearold populist. Charlie will he get more intense as the way the president retorts . He suggested he is not becoming more in the mode that general kelly and others had hoped he. Ould be where disciplines, more on message, more easily not distracted. Robert the question, when does it end. In the briefing room, this question always comes up. When does he decide to calm down and move in a more moderate or normal direction. . But there will be no end as long as he is president of the united dates. I covered him for too long un ited states. I covered him for too long. He relishes the chaos. Power. Destruction as he talked about american carnage. You see him now embracing the carnage on the american stage. People keep having this wish in the press and on both parties that it will somehow turn away but the fire will be put out. It will not. Charlie they do so much for joining us. We will be right back with dr. Henry kissinger. Some ideas he think the United States might consider. Back in a moment. Dr. Henryhenry kissinger is here. He served under president nixon and ford. I am pleased to have him back at this table. Welcome. Youre looking good and i assume feeling well. That is a heavy title there, how to resolve the north korean crisis because every government i remember is trying to resolve that. How to you do it . It is a way to approach it. Visit point of the article is the major steps of a report policy has been to bring it out north korea with consequences and asked china to help us. This threat is not fully effective because the north ofeans spent decades oppressing their people and apprising them to build these weapons. So they are not going to yield to threats very easily. Charlie threats of sanctions and the like . Dr. Kissinger it is going to take tremendous physical threats. Hand, china helping there to helpot us. They are there to help themselves. But the point of the article is were at a moments when we are at a moment when the interest of america and china coincide. The nucleart weapons in north korea because of many reasons. The threat it might represent to us and others. The chinese do not want Nuclear Weapons in korea because if those weapons remain, other countries in asia are sure to build Nuclear Weapons of their own. Like japan, south korea, vietnam , and other entities might be tempted. So then the whole area of will uclearized iced n of these countries will be intentions with each other in tensions with each other. China will be a great target, even more than the United States. Pressures and our if china uses its influence and , they might think it north korea. But the nuclearization need to be did end goal. Charlie they came down to maralago and talked about going light on trade. Wrong . S approach with thenger implication that we would help with trade as they helped with china. This looks like a commercial proposition, as if they are in business to extort economic problems. The problem for china would be gives up Nuclear Weapons, a gives of the only significant achievement. It might lead to the collapse of the regime or great unrest. It will lead to a. Period of lead to a major judgment. Chinese need from us how we help north korea after the denuclearization has been achieved. We have not had an adequate discussion of our consequences of our tickets. Our objectives. I believe that with that discussion, a joint policy with china could make much greater progress. Charlie general mathis and of states have set we do not want to change the regime. We just want them not to use Nuclear Weapons. There is no threats from the United States. Dr. Kissinger we dont want to change the regime. But if the regime collapses or disintegrates, we will not mourn it. Will be consequences of a disintegrating north korea right at the border of china with the possibility of many refugees. You are also preoccupied with the idea of a reunification of the koreas, which would somehow evolved into area whonation in the may be opposed to them if the south koreans dominate a unified south korea. A unifiedger i think korea is something that may be less dangerous than a divided korea, one of which has nuclear pressing for its objectives. The possible unification of korea should be one of the subjects that will be discussed not only with china but also with south korea and japan. Charlie can you sit down with the cheneys as a diplomat and asked them, tell me what your can you sit down with the chinese as a diplomat and ask them, tell me what your fears are and i will tell you what my fears are . Dr. Kissinger i think the better way would be to send some to the emissaries chinese and say, here is our notion of the evolution of the region things continue as they are. Some military clash by somebody is inevitable on the present course sooner or later. Danger is remove the to come to an understanding. The kind of pressure that will be applied and the political structure that we will recommend after world to support it. Then to put that forward in some manner. Charlie what do you think the chinese would accept . What kind of proposal . Dr. Kissinger this is speculation on my part. Would live chinese , that itunited Korea Remains part of the American Alliance but with limitations in north korea of highperformance weapons and appointment close to the chinese border, put a korea that is otherwise unified. Charlie and you think it is best to do this behind the scenes with an emissary in private to create conversation . Dr. Kissinger there has to be a but it isotiation, alpful if there is enough of philosophical kind of dialogue howhat people understand the other views the problem and what it is likely to do. Charlie they have had lots of conversations from one administration to the other. George w. Bush, barack obama, bill clinton. Beenissinger there have lots of conversations, and i am familiar with many of them. Are usuallysations why you should help north korea. There has rarely been a formal conversation of the future of northeast asia, probably because for a long time, north korea was considered an integral part of the chinese and the communist world until about one of the most significant events that happened that we couldnt notice. Until about three or four years was insidekorea china out of the communist party, not out of the Foreign Ministry. It was considered an adjunct to chinese policy. I think it is only in the last few years that the chinese begun top has understand that the north Korea Nuclear program is not something that is likely to fail. Enough toing strong affect the balance in asia. Effectivet can be within a year, the recent estimates suggest. Dr. Kissinger i think speed has surprised everybody. The conduct of the north korean government, assassinating the halfbrother of the leader at a. Alaysian airport spreading poison. Many similar things charlie in fact, killing some of his fathers advisors. Dr. Kissinger yes. Six pallbearers at his fathers funeral have disappeared. And one of them, the uncle that helped put them in office was publicly disgraced and was executed. So it is another regime where you dont want to have Nuclear Weapons. The key point is many people would say, what we just accept it. Because we have lived through the chinese. Charlie and the pakistanis and others. Dr. Kissinger yes. But here is a country that has proliferated its Nuclear Weapons already. They have made some of the Nuclear Materials available to anda several years ago, they give them some of their and they gave some of their engines to iran. This is a pull freighting regime proliferating regime. Understand, did china ea, japan, should they be brought together in this . Should this become proficient that takes place with anyone who has an interest in the region . Dr. Kissinger yes. I believe an initial conversation with china is probably the best way to proceed informal or conceptual. We can tell each other as honestly as we dare. Important fors the peace and security of mankind. It is the question of bringing down a regime. It is a question of producing a world in which the use of Nuclear Weapons will become conventional or could become conventional in the catastrophic impact of so many nations. Therefore, the ideal would be if north korea could be induced with significant pressures to give up its program. Brief. Aybe a of the freeze. But i am not happy with that because a freeze maintains the present situation. The opposition of china and the means weates, this will be shaken badly. Charlie does a preemptive attack to prevent them from having a Nuclear Weapon capable of delivering to the United States have so much cost that it is unacceptable as an alternative . That is exactly what we said to the iranians. It is unacceptable for them to have Nuclear Weapons. That is what we are saying to the north koreans. Dr. Kissinger i have been of the few that we did not hear from the European Union hear from the iranians enough from the agreement that we did. That agreement at least delayed the event of their nuclear capacity, and it was positive from that point of view. A simple freeze agreement right after they had launched an death wouldntal legitimize all their efforts,eep them in the same capacity and not make any progress toward what really we know needs to be done. Continues, and if we cannot control it, even in a country that is condemned by most of mankind, by most of the established countries, then we have lost any control of other programs that exist. Charlie do you consider kim jongun a rational leader . He was at a prep school in switzerland. There were all kinds of reports of how normally he behaved. The korean regime has maintained itself by practicing a degree of that is unprecedented even among many of the dictatorships. Every house has a radio, which they cannot shut off so the to thetalks permanently subjects. They have a system of concentration camps and of human abuse that is extraordinary. They have kidnapped at least 100 japanese because they needed teachers of the japanese have achievedhey a degree of brainwashing their population so that some of the refugees from their fine from find it hard to adjust to the free countries charlie that the escape to. Ofrlie charlie is that equal mine, a rational mind, or both . Dr. Kissinger it is of necessity. It is all beyond Human Experience that one would say it is substantially a rational you rational irrational. Dr. Kissinger does a president who talks about charlie does a president who talks about fire and fury contribute to reflect that . Dr. Kissinger all of us who practice diplomacy would have chosen different language. On the other hand, we would have said to give a very sharp warning to north korea that they are playing with fire when they threaten the United States. Only usethey say the of the icbm that they contemplate is against the United States and when they talk guaropping missiles around that a president wants to issue a very sharp warning that things could get out of control. The dilemma of Nuclear Weapons is to make such a threat credible you have to show you are going to the edge of what a be. Onal calculation would i would not have recommended that language, but i would have recommended an effort like this. Whoooo. Youre searching for something. Like the perfect deal. On the perfect hotel. So wouldnt it be perfect if. There was a single site. Where you could find the. Right hotel for you at the best price . There is. Because tripadvisor now compares. Prices from over 200 booking. Sites. To save you up to 30 . On the hotel you want. Trust this birds words. Tripadvisor. The latest reviews. The lowest prices. Charlie what is your assessment of china today in terms of xi jinping on the eve of another Chinese Party congress coming up in october and november in terms of his leadership and his Global Vision . China has two huge challenges. They are a country with thousands of years of history is therere, it is a sense of continuity unique among the countries of the world. They now have to undergo a significant Reform Program for their own economic necessities. The Reform Program extent, should order some of the major reforms that we have made in the last generation. Of theld attack them institutions, especially in the economic field and in the economic practices. That is a huge challenge. This, they would prefer not N International a crisis. They know a confrontation with United States would sap zap so many resources, that their economic dreams could not be realized. On the other hand, in this thousands of years of history, they have thought of themselves whose majestic concept and skill of activities was symbolic for major parts of the world and they consider themselves as a kind of center kingdom. They have to find their International Place in the world in which for the first time in is equaled by at least the United States. There are no longer alone, no matter how great their effort. How you create aN International system, the concept of International System in a society that historically has thought itself unique. The chinese did not have a Foreign Ministry until the end of the 19th century. It Foreign Policy as we know was conducted by something the ministry of rituals that classified each country by the decree of its dependency on china. Has reformed its Economic System and deal with the concept of international in which they can play some of the historic role. But not a central role exclusively that they had before. They are face to face with namely us,ntry, which also thinks of itself as exceptional. What we do it more on a missionary basis and they do it more on april arm its racist more on a performance basis. To have a dialogue over the years with the american president and the chinese president has a certain frustration. Thinksrican president the normal position of the world is the stability and if it is a problem. Thinks the president is anon of any problem admissions ticket for another problem. Therefore, the chinese resident is taking of a process president is thinking of a process. And the american president is thinking of a deal. President an negotiates for what brought him into the conference room. Good intentions. Charlie having known all of from zi and mao xi and he compare to previous leaders of china . And reform and capacity to have his way . Dr. Kissinger first of all, he was in a different. Period. Each leader you mentioned represented one face of m aounified china. Ofrcoming the effects tiananmen and making it part of to tryernational system to bring some quiet to a. Of turmoil. To a period of turmiol. This is a man who is moving toward a position to see if he succeeds will be comparable to mao. Charlie if you moved to where he wants to go, he will be in terms of his influence on society . Yes, because he is trying to make the society that he inherited after decades of turmoil and put it on a basis tootwo he calls the dreams. The first stream goes into effect through soon in 2021 when china reaches a level of the poorer european countries. At theond one is hundredth anniversary of the founding of the peoples 2049, china by his vision will be at least as strong as the strongest other nation in the world. Charlie therefore, why doesnt he want to do all he can to make sure north korea is not a disruptive factor in the region . This isinger i believe his intention. This is his goal. I believe he would reason that that they could be a leader in the region. They cannot do everything and particularly at the same moment, he is now facing the 19th party which is conference, an event that occurs every five years. It represents some degree of legitimization and leadership changes. There will be almost certainly significant leadership changes that will occur in the next two to three months. Charlie they will select a new premier . And who is on the Standing Committee . The Standing Committee is so organized that five of the Seven Members have to retire because of age limitations. Rlie there is a talk dr. Kissinger some of them might be able to stay, but that would be such an unusual event that it would signify a rising influence for that exception. Anyway, that is what he seems to have to deal with. In my experience, he is extremely thoughtful but also extremely strong. Hewas one of the victims, and his father, of the cultural revolution. They had to live in a cave for many years. The cultural revolution victims came through it hardened. He is formidable. Believe that he is trying to find a notion of a Peaceful World that is compatible with chinese values and compatible with coexistence with the United States. It will be a tough road. The same time, assuming leadership as a global othernd in terms of places. Dr. Kissinger he made a speech last year, which was a sketch of world order that on the economic side was quite compatible with a routebased system. Charlie that was a time in which populism was red hot in the notion was who would step forward to defend globalization and globalism . Dr. Kissinger ironically, it was china that started the communist state. Thing that ever changed is the believe in the supremacy of the communist party. Dr. Kissinger absolutely. Ofrlie you have been part the conversation in america for a long time. Are you more worried about the country today than you have ever been . Not only because of domestic issues and our president , but the world he lives. Dr. Kissinger no, i am worried in over half a century now that i have been some way , i have neverin seen a situation in which the United States had an opportunity for world order, but i have also not participated in a situation in which a country seemed so divided and so unable to find a common thread. Charlie on one hand, there is enormous opportunity for the economy,se it superior technology, universities, range of issues dr. Kissinger and to contribute. What we really need in the world today is the idea of peace and world order, which dominated the previous centuries. It is being undermined by a succession of a people. A leadership in the direction of such a goal would give the United States extraordinary opportunities and is quite expressive of our history and of our values. Is the president capable of that leadership . Dr. Kissinger i used to say i am hoping for an augustinian moment. Saint augustine, in his early a pattern that was quite incompatible with later on, when he had a vision and rose to sainthood. Dont expect the president to become that, that is an conceivable. When you realize the peace of the world and the future of the that depends on you now so much of what is here today falls away, i think that is a unique aspect of the american presidency. Charlie is this president losing the opportunity as a cause of his behavior . Dr. Kissinger there are things that happens that i didnt like, but i have not ever joined this because i have seen what happens when a president collapses. I still hope we will do the andgs that need to be done i think can be done, some of which nothing that has been done anywaya precludes an what i have indicated as a desirable that think it is possible what i have described can be with an existing framework of policy. Charlie are we had a moment in which a new world order will be built . Is this because of changes that have happened in the past five years . We looking at a moments were clearly there is a demand for the creation of a new world order because of changes in the geopolitics of the world . People may not even know yet what they want in a clear enough way. The leader of this country can bring it to other countries. I thought process, they can produce it. Many centuries ago, in the 17th europe armed 70 of its population with conventional weapons. And after 30 years with establishing the principles of sovereignty and selfdetermination and so forth. Know the imagined when it started at the end of the 30 year period. That is not just america alone that can do it, but we can play a defensive role. And we have enough respect and power to do it because of our history and what we did after world war ii, because of the role we have played since world war ii. There is still that opportunity for america. Country thatone thats out of the paris accord, fighting the country that goes to the g20 and is hesitant to endorse article five, all of those things. Dr. Kissinger yes, an attempt to move in the direction i described. Are you optimistic . Dr. Kissinger im hopeful. I think we can overcome it. Charlie thank you for coming. A pleasure to have you here. See you next time. Track your pack. Set a curfew, or two. Make dinnertime device free. [ music stops ] [ music plays again ] a smarter way to wifi is awesome. Introducing xfinity xfi. Amazing speed, coverage and control. Change the way you wifi. Xfinity. The future of awesome. Yousef welcome to best of Bloomberg Markets middle east. The major stories driving headline from the region this week, oil held losses around threeweek lows as investors weigh expanding u. S. Output against declining stockpiles. We breakdown secondquarter earnings as the numbers smash estimates. Economists downgraded growth forecast for qatar as the threemonth isolation takes its toll. Saudi arabia makes a