Transcripts For KQED PBS NewsHour 20161117 : comparemela.com

Path to political comedy. When you are not under the impression that the world is yours, you have to figure out how to listen to the world that you are in. Sreenivasan all that and more on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by lincoln financial committed to helping you take charge of your financial future. And by the alfred p. Sloan foundation. Supporting science, technology, and improved Economic Performance and Financial Literacy in the 21st century. Supported by the rockefeller foundation. Promoting the wellbeing of humanity around the world by building resilience and inclusive economies. More at rockefellerfoundation. Org Carnegie Corporation of new york. Supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of International Peace and security. At carnegie. Org. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and individuals. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Sreenivasan the trump transition operated on two fronts today, in new york and washington. The president elect received a parade of potential cabinet officers, while his running mate courted congress. John yang begins our coverage. Yang one after another, they made the pilgrimage to trump tower for audiences with the president elect. Some were familiar faces from the Campaign Former new york mayor rudy giuliani, and retired others have also been mentioned as possible members of the Trump Administration House Financial Services chairman jeb hensarling, fedex c. E. O. Chairman fred smith, and governors rick scott or florida and nikki haley of south carolina. Transition officials said theres no arbitrary timeline for personnel decisions announcements. I think, basically, before or right after thanksgiving is probably more appropriate. We looked at where past administrations have been also, and we feel like were on target, right on time for all of that. Yang president elect trump talked Foreign Policy with former secretary of state henry kissinger. Today he met with japanese Prime Minister, shinzo abe, the first world leader to come calling since the election. The Transition Team Incoming Administration has begun launching its socalled landing teams to work on the transition with Current Administration officials across the federal government. All members of those teams, and anyone being vetted for an administration job, have to give up lobbying if theyre a registered lobbyist. And they have to agree to a fiveyear lobbying ban after leaving government service. Today, Vice President elect pence was on capitol hill, addressing the House Republican conference he once led very humbling to be back among my former colleagues who are excited about moving the trump agenda forward in the coming congress and im just so grateful, so grateful for the warm hospitality. Yang mr. Pence also sat down with House Minority leader nancy pelosi, and with chuck schumer, the Incoming Senate minority leader. For the pbs newshour, im john yang. Sreenivasan former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took himself out of the running for a trump cabinet post today. He told the Washington Post he wants the freedom to Network Across the whole system. Woodruff in the days other news, president obama had some pointed advice for his successor, on dealing with russia. He spoke in berlin, after meeting with german chancellor angela merkel, and said he hopes mr. Trump confronts the kremlin when it goes too far. My hope is that the simply take a realpolitik approach and suggest that, you know, if we just cut some deals with russia, even if it hurts people or even if it violates international norms, or even if it leaves smaller countries that we just do whatever is convenient at the time. Woodruff merkel said shes keeping an open mind on working with a Trump Administration. Sreenivasan Hillary Clinton has reemerged in public, urging supporters to keep fighting. She spoke last night at a washington gala for the childrens defense fund. Clinton acknowledged shes had moments when she wanted to curl up and never leave the house again after her stunning loss. But she said, this is no time to give in. I know that over the past week, a lot of people have asked themselves whether america is the country we thought it was. But please listen to me when i say this america is worth it. Our children are worth it. Believe in our country, fight for our values and never, ever give up. Sreenivasan clinton did not mention president elect trump by name. Woodruff Republican Leaders in the u. S. House called today for a bill to fund the government into march. They said that would give the incoming Trump Administration time to weigh in on future spending priorities. Meanwhile, nancy pelosi now faces a challenge to keep her job as House Minority leader. Ohio democrat tim ryan announced today hell run against pelosi. Sreenivasan the u. S. Surgeon general is out with a call to action on substance abuse. Dr. Vivek murthy issued a sweeping report today. Among the findings 78 americans die every day from overdosing on opioids. A record 47,000 died from drug overdoses of all kinds, in 2014. And more than 27 Million People reported using illegal drugs, or misusing prescription drugs last year. Woodruff in economic news, the head of the Federal Reserve says the Economic Outlook is improving. Thats likely to paved the way for another Interest Rate hike, next month. Janet yellen gave her semi annual report to congress today. She acknowledged the feds view could change, depending on what the Trump Administration does. When theres greater clarity about the economic policies that might be put into effect the committee will have to factor those assessments of their impacts on employment and inflation and perhaps adjust our outlook depending on what happens. Woodruff yellen also said she has no intention of stepping down before her term ends in january of 2018. Sreenivasan j. P. Morgan chase will pay 264 million to settle federal charges that it bribed its way into banking deals with china. The bank was accused of hiring relatives of wellconnected chinese officials, in a bid to secure business. Several other banks are under a similar investigation. Woodruff wall street managed modest gains today. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained 35 points to close near 18,904. The nasdaq rose 39 points, and the s p 500 added 10. Sreenivasan astronaut Peggy Whitson is now the oldest woman in space, at the age of 56. The biochemist was on a Russian Rocket that blasted off from kazakhstan today, on a mission to the International Space station. Whitson will celebrate her 57th birthday in space, next february. John glenn remains the oldest human to go into space. He flew on a space shuttle, at age 77. Woodruff and, the man who made Archer Daniels midland into a Food Industry giant has died. Dwayne andreas passed away wednesday. He took over a. D. M. In 1970 and built a dominant position in everything from ethanol to corn syrup. He stepped down in 1997, after a pricefixing scandal. A. D. M. Was also a major underwriter of the newshour for years. Dwayne andreas was 98 years old. Sreenivasan still to come on the newshour president elect trumps first meeting with a foreign leader. Concerns that a Climate Change denier is shaping the president elects stance on the environment. Making sense of a program that lets Foreign Investors immigrate to the u. S. , and much more. Woodruff president elect trump has spoken by phone to scores of world leaders. Japans Prime Minister shinzo abe will visit with him in person in new york this evening, following concern in his country over statements candidate trump made during the campaign. In fact, questions have been raised in many quarters about trumps Foreign Policy, as he decides who his main appointments in that arena will be. We turn now to Michael Pillsbury who has been advising the trump Transition Team. He has served in past republican administrations in the Defense Department and on the National Security council staff. And David Rothkopf he is the c. E. O. And editor of Foreign Policy magazine, and the author of National Insecurity American Leadership in an age of fear. Offis and we welcome both of you to the program. Michael pillsbury, let me start with you and ask you about the visit with the japanese Prime Minister, the meeting late this afternoon with donald trump. How typical is it for a foreign head of government to meet with someone whos been elected president but hasnt taken office yet . Its common. Its basically a japanese initiative. Its a very good idea. It lets the japanese sort of get the feel of mr. Trump, present some of their kerns from the campaign rhetoric, and the fact that mr. Abe has already said its an honor for him to be the first foreign leader in some sense of a competitive dynamic. There have been reproaches from Prime Minister modi and others that they would like a chance to talk to the plect as well. Woodruff youre saying this is common . I dont the statistics. The key thing is the president elect cant act. He cant conduct Foreign Policy, but he can certainly educate himself and have a chance to meet people. So after hes president , it wont be a meeting of two strangers. Woodruff David Rothkopf, what about that . How accustomed are we, should we be to a president elect having these kinds of meetings . Well, these kind of things happen. President obama met with foreign leaders before he took office. I think what president elect trump needs to think about a little bit is that his actions have Foreign Policy consequences whether or not hes meeting with foreign leaders so that, for example, if he sends out a tweet trying to intimidate or berate the New York Times, foreign leaders who might be wanting to do that themselves start saying, oh, there is a change in u. S. Policy. Or if he cozies up to russia, or appoints an ethnonationalist as his primary adviser, people say, oh, perhaps ethnonationalism in s in season at the white house. Everything he does has a Foreign Policy consequence. Woodruff there has been a lot made not just about Stephen Bannon being made top person in the white house. How much information is there about him . Hes not president so things foreign leaders say can be for effect. I was on president reagans Transition Team. We had similar issues. People wanted to get in touch, wanted to know what the true policy was going to be. Transition teams dont have any authority. President reagan didnt really get to his main National Security strategy till one year in office. Some of the key documents took one year to hash out. So were really in a very early phase where, as david says, yes, the tweets are read and people are watching, but there are no teams meeting to hammer things out. Were way early to see what the Trump Administrations role in history will be. Woodruff David Rothkopf, sounds like Michael Pillsbury is saying its too early to get concerned about any of this until he takes office and starts making decisions. I dont know if its too early. Yesterday had the head of the National Security agency saying rust had taken an active role in trying to tip the scales of this election toward trump. Indeed, thats what happened. Then trump got on the phone with russia, talked to putin. A letter from poofnt. A day later putin launches a major offensive in syria. Some of the people who trump is considering are people who are fairly cozy with the russians including general mike flynn. So all of a sudden people are starting to put pieces together. Michaels right, it takes time for a Foreign Policy legacy to emerge, but for First Impressions matter, and right now donald trump is making some pretty disturbing First Impressions. Woodruff i want to come back on the the specifics of that. Go ahead. A new president from whatever party deserves a bit of a cease fire. The election is over. Politics will continue. There will be Harsh Criticism of donald trump for the next four years, im sure. One of my favorite impressions in washington is something George Schultz said i think on the pbs newshour. He said nothing ever gets settled in this town. So conflicts can continue, we can criticize mike flynn but hes not named yet as personal security advisor. I hope he is. His book is quite good. Hes not speaking now, general flynn going on tv, he doesnt speak as an government official. The Election Campaign over and there needs to be a break in the Harsh Criticism of mr. Trump and his team. Woodruff David Rothkopf, i hear you say there are signals donald trump had with Vladimir Putin, for example. Of course, and there are signals that are being sent with tweets intimidating the times and signals being sent for who hes evaluating for key offices and who might be the people that he chooses to appoint to those offices and, you know, yes, it would be nice, ideally, if we could set aside the politics for a moment, but some of these things are not political. When you take somebody whos run a publication thats white supremacist, misogynist publication and appoint him right ext door to the president in the white house, that sends a message, particularly in europe right now where theres a rising tide of the right. One of those people who hes appointed, steve bannon, has already sent a message to the lapen team who is going to contend for the presidency of france next year, extreme right wingers. Hes saying, look, well help you, were part of the rising tide of the right. So actions are being taken, choices are being made and the consequences are serious. Woodruff and we should say that the Breitbart News organization argues against the characterization of white supremacist. But setting that aside, Michael Pillsbury, what about this argument that, already, by his statements, even saying i had a good conversation with Vladimir Putin and the next day russia launches yet another strike, punishing strike in syria that those are not things that we should be concerned about at the very least . I think the key thing is White House Fact Sheet that president obama issued, and president obamas own statements that the Obama Administration has tried very hard to prepare memos for every Government Department for the last few months suggesting what to do, descriptions of what has happened so far. But those will not be turned over until mr. Trumps Transition Teams arrive in the buildings. Now, the problem we have right now is that the Transition Teams reporter and some of them did arrive today. And this is a setback for the past week or so, but its easy to remedy this and now the dialogue begins. So things like david is concerned about, they will begin to sort of get ahold of whats been going on in Foreign Policy and defense areas quite scone. Were in a very premature first week. I appeal to david, give people a break. Woodruff we are just beginning to watch, and this is the first of many, many conversations we will be having. Michael pillsbury, David Rothkopf, thank you both. Pleas