Trump Set to Meet With North Korean Dictator; President Trump Isolating U.S. From Allies?; Interview With National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow; Trump Blames Obama, Not Putin, For Crimea Invasion; Trump Slams Canada's Trudeau; 72 Percent of Americans Support The Trump-Kim Summit
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Odd man out. President Trump stuns the world, pulling out of the G7's official agreement and issuing a warning to allies.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're like the piggy bank that everybody is robbing. And that ends.</s>TAPPER: Is there an actual strategy here?</s>JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We also will not be pushed around.</s>TAPPER: President Trump's chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, responds next. Plus: one-time shot. The president touches down in Singapore for a summit many thought we'd never see and says it won't take him long to figure out a devious dictator.</s>TRUMP: I think, within the first minute, I will know, my touch, my feel. That's what I do.</s>TAPPER: If the president wings it, is there is a prayer for peace? Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein will be here in moments. And blaming Obama. As President Trump puts in a good word for Vladimir Putin with U.S. allies, he says, thanks, Obama, for letting Russia run over Crimea. So, who is giving Russia the pass now?</s>TAPPER: Hello. I'm Jake Tapper in Washington, where the state of our union is solo. And I'm not talking about the new "Star Wars" movie. President Trump is in Singapore for what could be the biggest meeting of his entire presidency. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is also on the ground meeting with Singapore's prime minister. But, right now, it is the news President Trump made on the way to his meeting in Singapore that is rattling world order. As President Trump is preparing to improve U.S. relations with that brutal dictator, he seems to be throwing out two days of diplomacy with U.S. allies, slamming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as -- quote -- "very dishonest and weak" and announcing that the U.S. will not sign a joint statement agreed to by all nations at the summit. Let's go straight to Singapore and CNN's Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan, what is the latest?</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, this is real. It is actually happening. It's something that a lot of doubters and experts didn't think it would actually come to this, but President Trump and Kim Jong-un are finally on the same soil, Kim Jong-un landing earlier today, President Trump landing just a few minutes ago. And now everyone will be watching to see what comes out of this potentially historic summit when the two leaders do sit down Tuesday morning here to talk and see what comes out of that. What is the president looking for? He has said denuclearization in the past, but, lately, he's been saying it will only take one minute for him to see what it is, if Kim Jong-un is serious about committing to denuclearization. That is something that is still largely up for discussion, that it's not clear what the North Koreans are willing to commit to. That is going on the heels of this G7 summit that the president really upended as soon as he got on Air Force One with a single tweet, tweeting about the prime minister in the way that he did. Certainly a lot of diplomatic moves here, Jake, to keep an eye on.</s>TAPPER: All right, Kaitlan Collins in Singapore, thanks so much. Now, here with me is the top White House economic adviser, Larry Kudlow. He was with the president at the G7 summit. He was doing a lot of the negotiating on that communique. Larry, thanks so much for joining us.</s>LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Thank you, Jake.</s>TAPPER: We really appreciate it, as always.</s>TAPPER: But let's start with this unprecedented decision from the president to not endorse the communique that you had been negotiating. Was this the plan all along, or was this completely a reaction to Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister?</s>KUDLOW: Completely a reaction. I appreciate you putting that out there. Look, we went there. All the punditry was saying, A, President Trump might not even go to G7, B, we will never sign a communique because, C, we're not going to work with other people. Well, we did in good faith. I personally negotiated with Prime Minister Trudeau, who, by the way, I basically liked working with, but not until this sophomoric play. I mean, we went through it. We agreed. We compromised on the communique. We joined the communique in good faith.</s>TAPPER: But what did he say that was so offensive? President Trump accused him of lying.</s>KUDLOW: Well, he holds a press conference, and he said the U.S. is insulting. He said that Canada has to stand up for itself. He says that we are the problem with tariffs. Well, the infactual, the non-factual part of this was, they have enormous tariffs. I mean, they have tariffs on certain dairy and food products of 290, 295 percent. He was polarizing. I mean, here's the thing. I mean, he really kind of stabbed us in the back. He really, actually -- you know what? He did a great disservice to the whole G7. He betrayed...</s>TAPPER: Trudeau did?</s>KUDLOW: Yes, he did, because they were united in the G7. They came together. And I was there extensively. I was involved in these late-night negotiations. President Trump was charming, good faith. I -- I was in the bilateral meeting with Trudeau and President Trump. And they were getting along famously. President Trump actually -- and this is music to my ears, Jake. He went through those two days of conference talking about the need for a new free trade system, no tariffs.</s>TAPPER: Right.</s>KUDLOW: No tariff barriers.</s>TAPPER: No subsidies.</s>KUDLOW: No subsidies. He is a trade reformer, as I have argued again and again. And he put that out. And so they had this bilateral meeting. We were very close to making a deal with Canada on NAFTA, bilaterally perhaps. And then we leave, and Trudeau pulls this sophomoric political stunt for domestic consumption. It pains me...</s>TAPPER: But President Trump does that all the time, though, doesn't he?</s>KUDLOW: No, he doesn't.</s>TAPPER: He doesn't say things for domestic consumption?</s>KUDLOW: No, the point is, if you are going through a treaty process, a communique, and you have good faith...</s>TAPPER: Right.</s>KUDLOW: And -- and those leaders were together. I mean, I was right smack in the middle of it on Friday night and Saturday morning. You don't walk away and start firing bullets. Now, look...</s>TAPPER: I can't believe that an adviser to President Trump...</s>TAPPER: ... is saying that, because President Trump does that all the time. He does things for -- for domestic consumption.</s>KUDLOW: Jake, not in -- not after you pull a treaty or a deal together.</s>TAPPER: But let's look at the language of the communique.</s>KUDLOW: That's the point I'm trying to make here.</s>TAPPER: Let's look at the language -- yes, let's look at the language of the communique that you helped negotiate, that President Trump walked away from. Here is the part that is on trade, which is the part that, obviously, I think President Trump is most interested in.</s>KUDLOW: Yes. Yes.</s>TAPPER: "We acknowledge that free, fair and mutually beneficial trade and investment, while creating reciprocal benefits, are key engines for growth and job creation. We strive to reduce tariff barriers, non-tariff barriers and subsidies. We call for the start of negotiations this year to develop stronger international rules on market-distorting industrial subsidies and trade-distorting actions by state-owned enterprises." That is what President Trump believes in.</s>KUDLOW: Yes.</s>TAPPER: Why walk away from it just because of something Justin Trudeau said for domestic consumption?</s>KUDLOW: No, not something. Look, you -- yes, for domestic political consumption. But it was a global statement. The whole world listened to what he said. Look, you're reporting it here in Washington, as you must.</s>TAPPER: Sure.</s>KUDLOW: I get that. You just don't behave that way, OK? It is a betrayal, OK? He is essentially double-crossing -- not just double crossing President Trump, but the other members of the G7, who were working together and pulling together this communique. You know, you never get everything you want. There are compromises along the way. President Trump played that process in good faith. So, I ask you, he gets up in the airplane and leaves. And then Trudeau starts blasting him in a domestic news conference? I'm sorry. It is a betrayal. That is a double-cross. It pains me because I like Trudeau. I was working with him. We were together putting words on paper. I'm changing "the"s to "a"s when it comes to reforming the international system. They all agreed. This is so important. They all agreed that the WTO...</s>TAPPER: So why walk away from the agreement? That's what I don't understand.</s>KUDLOW: Well, then ask Mr. Trudeau that. That's the question.</s>TAPPER: But he didn't walk away from the agreement. He...</s>KUDLOW: Don't blame Trump. It was Trudeau who started blasting Trump after he left, after the deals had been made. And one last point on this.</s>TAPPER: Yes.</s>KUDLOW: POTUS is going to Korea -- no, Singapore, to negotiate with the North Koreans. This is an historic event.</s>TAPPER: Absolutely.</s>KUDLOW: Good things, wonderful things could come out of this.</s>TAPPER: We all hope so, absolutely.</s>KUDLOW: All right. Thank you. Now, POTUS is not going to let a Canadian prime minister push him around, push him, POTUS, President Trump...</s>TAPPER: But that's what...</s>KUDLOW: ... around on the eve of this. He is not going to permit any show of weakness on the -- on the trip to negotiate with North Korea, nor should he.</s>TAPPER: So, this was about North Korea?</s>KUDLOW: Of course it was, in large part, absolutely.</s>TAPPER: So, because Trudeau said that as Trump was going to Singapore...</s>KUDLOW: Well, you know, one thing leads to another, Jake.</s>TAPPER: Oh, I see. OK.</s>KUDLOW: They are all related. We had done our work in -- in Quebec, north of Quebec. We did our work. We worked with the Western alliance, pleased to do so. We get on the plane, and then this guy Trudeau starts blasting us.</s>TAPPER: So what is key here?</s>KUDLOW: Kim must not see American weakness.</s>TAPPER: Yes. I see. I see.</s>KUDLOW: It's that short. And, you know, Jake -- you have covered the beat for so long -- how many times has President Trump said, if you hit me, I'm going to hit you back, OK?</s>TAPPER: Right.</s>KUDLOW: And this is a case where Trudeau -- it was like, I don't know, pouring collateral damage on this whole Korean trip. That was a part of Trudeau's mistake. He -- Trudeau made an error. He should take it back. He should pull back on his statements and wish President Trump well in the Korea negotiations.</s>TAPPER: So, what...</s>KUDLOW: These other members did.</s>TAPPER: Yes.</s>KUDLOW: Angela Merkel did. Macron did. I was right there. Theresa May did.</s>TAPPER: OK. So, there's a...</s>KUDLOW: And, all of a sudden, he went rogue.</s>TAPPER: I'm seeing what you're saying here.</s>KUDLOW: He went rogue.</s>TAPPER: That this had to do with North Korea.</s>KUDLOW: In large part.</s>TAPPER: A lot of people are not interpreting it the way you're interpreting it. Senator John McCain issued a statement, saying: "To our allies, bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro- globalization and supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn't." That's a remarkable statement from a Republican senator...</s>KUDLOW: OK.</s>TAPPER: ... about a Republican president.</s>KUDLOW: Look, two -- two things. One, John friend -- John McCain and I are old friends, and I wish him well. He is not well. I wish him well. Just want to make that point. Number two, President Trump is essentially doing what John McCain wanted him to do with respect to free trade. President Trump made it clear time and again in those two days outside of Quebec that he wants to reinstitute a process of free trade, no tariffs...</s>TAPPER: No subsidies.</s>KUDLOW: ... no tariff barriers, no quotas and subsidies. He was absolutely consistent during this entire trip. And, to some extent, this was a new emphasis, although I have known for years -- I wrote a piece in "The Washington Post" the other day -- I have known that Trump is a free-trader, OK? I knew that. This is the first time, as I recall, he put it out there explicitly. And what does he get from Pierre (sic) Trudeau? Slam, slap in the face. And I'm sorry. Look, nobody in this game is perfect. Nobody in this game is entirely clean. I get that. But that doesn't mean you can't negotiate in good faith, OK?</s>TAPPER: Well, I see. And you're also saying that what is really important here is that America, in your view, can't show weakness as President Trump...</s>KUDLOW: Well, that's...</s>TAPPER: ... flies to Singapore to negotiate with Kim Jong-un.</s>KUDLOW: Well, first of all, you know, why throw a monkey wrench into the meeting of the Western allies? That is point number one. I think Trudeau -- and, second of all, yes, you're quite right, sir. I mean, President -- he can't put Trump in a position of being weak going into the North Korean talks with Kim. He can't do that.</s>TAPPER: Yes.</s>KUDLOW: And, by the way, President Trump is not weak. He will be very strong, as he always is. So those are my points. This was an ill-advised statement by Mr. Trudeau.</s>TAPPER: Let me ask you -- I want to ask you another question.</s>KUDLOW: He ought to -- really...</s>TAPPER: Yes.</s>KUDLOW: He ought to come out and apologize in the name of the Western allies, OK? He ought to come out today and wish President Trump well in the negotiations...</s>TAPPER: In Singapore.</s>KUDLOW: ... instead of taking potshots at...</s>TAPPER: I want to ask you. Another thing that raised a lot of eyebrows had to do with President Trump, on his way to the G7, saying how he wished Russia was at the table. There are a lot of people who didn't understand why he would do it, why he would do it that way. Usually, you would have a private conversation with G7 allies before you talk about new members. At the same time that all this was going on, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, was speaking in France, where he said this about Russia's cyber-attacks. I'm sorry. It is a graphic. "These Russian actions are purposeful and premeditated. And they represent an all-out assault by Vladimir Putin on the rule of law, Western ideals and democratic norms. The Russians are actively seeking to divide our alliance, and we must not allow that to happen." What would you say to critics who say that President Trump -- and there are critics out there who are saying this in the United States and Europeans -- that President Trump is actually doing what Vladimir Putin would want him to do, trying to bring him into the G7 or G8 without any concessions, and really causing a lot of tensions with the allies in the G7?</s>KUDLOW: Well, first of all, I think Dan Coats is right. Russia is very difficult, very divisive. They are a threat in so many ways. So that is right. But President Trump is saying, look, perhaps we should go back to dealing with them. Remember, it used to be the G8.</s>TAPPER: But shouldn't you get a concession?</s>KUDLOW: Perhaps so. I mean, he wasn't -- he wasn't negotiating with himself or anybody else. It was the G8. Russia is a player on the world stage. And he was suggesting that perhaps they ought to -- the G7 should to...</s>KUDLOW: ... again.</s>TAPPER: But you know this, because I used to watch you when you were an anchor during this period. Russia is no longer a member of the G8 because they invaded Crimea.</s>KUDLOW: That is fair enough. I -- fair enough. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk to them. That doesn't mean we shouldn't deal with them. Again, Russia was doing some very bad things years ago, when they were part of the G8.</s>TAPPER: Right.</s>KUDLOW: So, look, you can argue that both sides. President Trump is just throwing it out there for consideration. There is nothing wrong with that. Dan Coats is right, on the other hand. Russia has a record that is an arm long when it comes to violating sanctions, damaging people, invading the Crimea, trying to threaten the rest of Eastern Europe. So, sure, but the two are not mutually exclusive.</s>TAPPER: And yet have been more critical just now the show of Vladimir Putin than President Trump has. President Trump pointed at President Obama when asked about Crimea. He said Obama -- quote -- "allowed Russia to take Crimea in 2014." I mean, whether or not you think President Obama was aggressive enough against Russia, it wasn't Obama who let them do it. Putin did it.</s>KUDLOW: That is true. I think we could have had a much stronger response with President Obama. But I don't want to go there. I'm not an expert in this field. I just don't see anything wrong with the American president suggesting that the G7 go back and have another discussion with Russia. It was the G8. So be it. That does not absolve -- I'm sorry -- that does not absolve Prime Minister Trudeau's essentially busting up the G7 and its communique. Do you know -- let me -- this is funny. Look, we've known each other a while. I'm getting text messages from very good reporters Thursday and Friday before the</s>G7: Is it true that President Trump is not going and Vice President Pence is going to go, all right? And I'm saying, no.</s>TAPPER: No, not true at all.</s>KUDLOW: There is an over/under whether President Trump is going to show up. OK? I said no. He showed up. He worked with them. We had long night sessions. He was a participant. Not only did we play. We were in the communique, team players, really, really, team players here, the U.S., to help the Western alliance. And then Trudeau throws him under the bus with some very harsh language. Jake, it was a betrayal. It was a diplomatic betrayal. That is not good. And you know what? We were close to negotiating a trade deal with Mr. Trudeau.</s>TAPPER: So, what is next?</s>KUDLOW: I was in the bilateral meeting.</s>TAPPER: What is next with U.S. relations with Canada? What is next with the relationship with the G7? Is it frayed to the point that it can't be repaired?</s>KUDLOW: Well, what is next is historic negotiations with North Korea.</s>TAPPER: In Singapore with North Korea, absolutely.</s>KUDLOW: That is the absolute end-all/be-all. With regard to the G7, frayed relations? I don't know. I watched Angela Merkel and President Trump talking to each other. The same with Macron of France. The same with May of Britain. I was right -- right there. And they are talking with each other. Is there an occasional barb? Of course there is.</s>TAPPER: Yes.</s>KUDLOW: These are major politicians. But, on the whole, that alliance was strengthened. That G7 alliance was strengthened, as President Trump involved himself and devoted himself to the process. That is a good thing. They should have said to him, Godspeed. You are negotiating with this crazy nuclear tyrant in North Korea. And we are behind you. That is what President -- what Prime Minister Trudeau should have said.</s>TAPPER: The only point I will make about is that -- I have talked to a lot of Canadian and European diplomats in the last year. And I think they would be surprised that the Trump White House would be offended at barbs being made by Justin Trudeau, given all the ones that President Trump has made about Canada and Europe for the year- and-a-half of his presidency.</s>KUDLOW: After you sign an agreement like that?</s>TAPPER: No, not immediately after. Yes, so the timing is important.</s>KUDLOW: Really? Really? And, by the way, the other thing is -- I don't want to lose this point -- the American economy is really growing rapidly. We are the fastest growing G7 economy right now. We have cut taxes. We have pushed back regulations. Here is the president being the -- frankly, the strongest trade reformer in the past two decades, which, if we could overcome these unfair trading barriers, would help our economy and the economy of the rest of the world. We talked to Trudeau, as I said, in the bilateral. We were coming together beautifully, OK? And then he goes out there and pulls this amateur political stunt. Jake, look, it is not personal. Trudeau is a smart guy, as I said. I was working with him. I call him Prime Minister. He calls me Larry. I'm taking notes. I'm going back to POTUS to see if he will accept this stuff.</s>TAPPER: Is there going to be payback?</s>KUDLOW: It worked -- it worked beautifully.</s>TAPPER: Payback to Trudeau? Is there -- is the U.S. going to do anything?</s>KUDLOW: I don't know anything about that. What I'm saying is that President Trump had every right, every right to push back publicly on this Trudeau amateurish scheme that really broke -- that really broke up all the good will from that meeting in Quebec.</s>TAPPER: Well, let me just say this. I'm sure most Americans, if not all Americans, watching right now are hoping for the best in Singapore. So, please convey that for us. To you, Larry Kudlow, always a pleasure having you on.</s>KUDLOW: Thank you. Thank you.</s>TAPPER: Thank you so much. The man who wrote "The Art of the Deal" is now facing what might be his greatest test. Will President Trump's special feel and touch be enough to negotiate a deal with Kim Jong-un? Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California is here to respond in moments.