are drastically changing, and that makes the policy making really hard. jonathan, a question i ask to like folks like you on this very broadcast, how did the trump agenda advance today? well, the trump agenda did advance today in particular north korea as your last guests were talking about. i mean it is a step forward to see kim jong-un say that he s not going to do these tests anymore, whether or not, you know, he has the data he needs and doesn t need to do the tests. it s a step forward to see him closing down the site. look, the trump foreign policy with north korea is a big break from, you know, where the obama foreign policy was on it, and they ve been pretty consistent in this idea that they can you know, at first it felt like more brinksmanship with north korea, and they felt like ultimately that would bring kim jong-un to the table. right now he s walking toward the table. you know, it s still mid-story. we don t know how it s going to end, but i think there are people
trusted aides. so it s just this big vacuum of people who aren t necessarily there to be close to trump. and then just to keep people abreast of how fast he s changing his mind and sort of actually what is happening. jonathan, it s hard to get a straight answer and separate out the hyperbole. when you listen to some people, the state department has been hollowed out. you can roll a bowling ball down the hallways and not hit anybody. i will ask you for the effect it has had, especially with kind of president s direct acolytes now missing. talk about the whipsaw effect, how it careens through the administration. what starts in the oval office or generally the west wing. well, i mean number one, throughout the administration, you ve got an inability for people at the agencies to know not just where the policy is headed but all the twists and turns it s going to take along the way. the lack of consistency makes it harder for them to do their jobs. but in addition to that, you ve got a
who are leaving as bolton remakes his team. he just announced a new deputy tonight. but as this was going on against the backdrop of this, the white house is trying to decide should they do air strikes against syria. should they do economic sanctions. what is going to be their where are they going to meet with north korea. so there s all these huge foreign policy decisions that are happening as the players on the national security council are drastically changing, and that makes the policy making really hard. jonathan, a question i ask to like folks like you on this very broadcast, how did the trump agenda advance today? well, the trump agenda did advance today in particular north korea as your last guests were talking about. i mean it is a step forward to see kim jong-un say that he s not going to do these tests anymore, whether or not, you know, he has the data he needs and doesn t need to do the tests. it s a step forward to see him closing down the site. look, the trump forei
talk about the whipsaw effect, how it careens through the administration. what starts in the oval office or generally the west wing. well, i mean number one, throughout the administration, you ve got an inability for people at the agencies to know not just where the policy is headed but all the twists and turns it s going to take along the way. the lack of consistency makes it harder for them to do their jobs. but in addition to that, you ve got a situation on capitol hill. we all remember the president s negotiations on immigration with chuck schumer and nancy pelosi. and then going through that, going back and forth, there were some problems already. but those problems as nancy and andrew in their piece talk about what s going on at the white house in communicating on policy, you also see that on capitol hill just in the last couple of weeks on trade policy in particular. you know, the president has a real problem right now and certainly republican candidates have a real problem wi
people who aren t necessarily there to be close to trump. and then just to keep people abreast of how fast he s changing his mind and sort of actually what is happening. jonathan, it s hard to get a straight answer and separate out the hyperbole. when you listen to some people, the state department has been hollowed out. you can roll a bowling ball down the hallways and not hit anybody. i will ask you for the effect it has had, especially with kind of president s direct acolytes now missing. talk about the whipsaw effect, how it careens through the administration. what starts in the oval office or generally the west wing. well, i mean number one, throughout the administration, you ve got an inability for people at the agencies to know not just where the policy is headed but all the twists and turns it s going to take along the way. the lack of consistency makes it harder for them to do their jobs. but in addition to that, you ve got a situation on capitol hill. we all remember the