>> well, we've seen how president trump has aggravated tensions with some of our staunchest allies in europe. and at the same time, we know that the state department really isn't functioning at full capacity. a lot of key jobs aren't even staffed at this point. i think what former president obama is doing as he travels around is a little bit of repair work for some of the tensions that are created by president trump. so he benefits from that. these alliances are important, and they're important to president trump's success. >> it's important to point out that it is vital for presidents to maintain a good relationship with their predecessors. we've seen through so many points president obama reaching out to george w. bush. and before him, bill clinton. there was one letter from president george h.w. bush to bill clinton that's thought of as the ultimate in honorably