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Trump Leaves G-7 Early, Heads to Singapore for North Korea Summit; G-7 Member Break with Trump over Readmitting Russia; Trump On NAFTA: "We Talked About Very Big Changes"; Trump At Odds With Allies After Trade Tariffs Dispute; Remembering The Life And Legacy Of A Culinary Legend. Aired 11-12p ET

Aired June 09, 2018 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:29] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone.

And we start with this breaking news. President Trump is skipping out early on the G-7 summit and, at any moment, he will officially start making his way to Singapore for the highly-anticipated sit-down with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

But before the President made his early exit, he weighed in just moments ago on everything from trade, to floating the idea of Russia rejoining the G-7 resuming the G-8 status, to fiercely defending his relationship with America's closest allies.

And now the President's focus is set on North Korea, saying he will know within the first minute if it will work out with Kim Jong-un.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In just a few minutes, I'll be leaving for Singapore. I'll be on a mission of peace and we will carry -- in my heart we'll be carrying the hearts of millions of people, people from all over the world.

We have to get denuclearization. We have to get something going. We really think that North Korea will be a tremendous place in a very short period of time.

But I really feel confident. I feel that Kim Jong-un wants to do something great for his people. And he has that opportunity. And he won't have that opportunity again.

It's never going to be there again. So it's a one-time -- it's a one- time shot. And I think it's going to work out very well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Michelle Kosinski is standing by for us. But first we want to go to CNN's Boris Sanchez live for us in Quebec City for us. So Boris -- the President sounded very definitive and confident about his upcoming trip. It was the summarization of what could or did not come from this G-7, which is striking.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right -- Fred, yes.

President Trump went into this meeting with some tense language for some of America's closest and oldest allies. And just now as he wrapped his stay here, he had positive language rating his relationships with these other world leaders at a 10.

Sources told CNN that the President was not eager to come to the G-7. He arrived late. He's leaving even earlier than he had planned when the White House changed his schedule for an early departure. He's actually skipping out on a session that we were told that he would attend today. He is obviously bound for Singapore now.

And during this conversation that he had with reporters, this unexpected press conference, he said that despite, you know, that tense language on Twitter in past days, his relationships with leaders like Emmanuel Macron of France or Justin Trudeau of Canada are great. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The level of relationship is a ten. We have a great relationship -- Angela and Emmanuel and Justin. I would say the relationship is a ten.

And I don't blame them. I blame -- as I said, I blame our past leaders for allowing this to happen. There was no reason this should happen. There's no reason that we should have big trade deficits with virtually every country in the world.

I'm going long beyond the G-7. There's no reason for this. It's the fault of the people that preceded me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And within moments of that statement, the President then compared the United States to a piggy bank that all these allies are robbing.

One other thing I wanted to point out -- Fred, the President was pressed on suggestion that he made yesterday upon his departure for Quebec that Russia should be re-allowed into the G-7 to recreate the G-8 which he believes is more meaningful than the G-7.

He said that something happened back then when Russia was kicked out. One reporter pointed out that what happened was that Russia invaded Crimea and annexed a part of another nation into theirs. The President said that questions about that should be directed to the Obama administration.

He suggested that he would have had a very different attitude had something like that happened under his administration. He said that he wants peace for the world.

But yet he didn't really mention the fact that Russia has done nothing to atone for its aggressive acts throughout the globe whether meddling in the 2016 election, or the poisoning of that ex-British spy -- ex- Russian spy in Great Britain earlier this year. So the President leaving a lot unsaid there.

[11:05:00] Still, he maintains a positive outlook as he pivoted to his summit in Singapore with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right -- Boris. I want to bring in Michelle. Now Michelle -- the President classifying the relations with the allies as a ten. Seemingly very protective about what he believes to be good relations.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he seemed extremely sensitive on this point. When our CNN producer asked him a question about these relationships, which was a very straightforward question about there being tension going in, I mean he was in a Twitter war with Emmanuel Macron of France, remember.

The President really bristled at that. He took that opportunity to attack CNN, attack the press. He kind of went all out and called these relationships a ten. He kept going back to that.

And then he wanted to use each leader's name by their first name only, as if to show we have this great, great relationship. I mean we know that's not the case.

But when we talk about the tension, we're not talking about personal relationships. We're talking about whether these leaders see eye to eye on these biggest issues that are affecting them. I mean right now it is trade where the loggerheads have been.

Obviously that's something that needs to be discussed but we're not talking about personal relationships. He seems to think that it is about the personal relationship. Not that that doesn't factor in to some extent.

But we know that there's been tension. And we know that the U.S.'s allies are looking at some of these statements that the President has been making with skepticism at best and horror at worst.

So there's obviously a lot to iron out with the U.S.'s closest friends. And the President doesn't want to acknowledge even that there has been tension over that on some of these major issues -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michelle Kosinski, Boris Sanchez -- we'll check back with you. Thank you so much.

All right. Joining me now to discuss are CNN political commentator David Swerdlick, CNN political analyst Karoun Demirjian, CNN global affairs analyst Aaron David Miller and CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter. All right. Good to see all of you.

So Brian -- you first. This really is the first major press conference that we have seen from the President in a very long time. And the President was very protective about relations; perhaps on the defensive. At the same time, Brian -- maybe laying the groundwork, setting the stage for what's to come. High expectations in North Korea? BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes and there are some

of his usual ugliness about the press, about CNN, calling us fake and all that kind of trash. But it is notable that he's in a chatty mood.

You know, two days in a row, Fred -- the President has surprised the press corps by taking questions. He did this yesterday on the lawn of the White House, then he's doing it today during the G-7.

I wouldn't call this a formal press conference, because it was a surprise. It wasn't prescheduled and there's only a small number of journalists there. Most White House -- the press corps, they were actually over in Quebec City.

However it is notable that he's having these impromptu press conferences where he fields questions from journalists; 20 minutes yesterday, almost 30 minutes today. He clearly is in a chatty mood. He's clearly trying to set the stage and control the narrative heading into Singapore.

He's revealing a lot about his intentions and his game plan, or at least what he wants us to think is his plan for this summit. And I think if people were feeling confident about the President before this, they're feeling even more confident now.

If they were feeling worried about how this is going to go, concerned about how he's going to handle this, I think you're even more worried now based on his comments about how he will know within the first minute how it's going.

WHITFIELD: So Karoun -- how would you characterize the President particularly in his demeanor and his choice of words? He's very protective. I keep using that word because that was my impression. At the same time very defensive about whether his personal relations with other countries meet expectations; whether it remains good. He calls it a ten.

KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right -- calling it a 10 with Angela, with the President of France. He knows the script at this point. He's getting a lot of blowback even from members of his own party for, not destroying, but complicating and potentially ruing relationships with allies that are very important to maintain a unified front.

Clearly, the trade has been an issue. He's gotten a lot of blowback from Republicans about whether or not he should be going after allies on that trade front.

But this is all kind of a little bit of a clean-up. I mean he keeps throwing these little incendiary bombs into things by saying let's Russia into the --

WHITFIELD: Is it clean up or is this more incendiary bombs?

DEMIRJIAN: Well, I mean by saying our relationship is a ten, clearly he's saying he realizes that it's bad to say I don't care about this relationship at all. I'm going to prioritize giving Russia something it's wanted so badly for so many years over the -- even consulting with the allies about it before I go and say let's bring them back into the community of the largest economic nations.

[11:09:59] It seems that, you know, the President is trying to kind of keep things from exploding on the allies front while still kind of doing what he wants to on the other fronts, which is messing with the status quo without consulting the people he's supposed to be working with.

WHITFIELD: So Aaron does that become mission accomplished because the President has said so because won't these leaders also be using a calculus of he was late, you know, a few times for the arrival of the summit, late for breakfast today and then leaving early because the White House says he's leaving early to prepare, to get ready for this North Korea summit in Singapore.

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes. I mean -- I think the President votes with his feet. I mean there's a pattern here. He loves to annoy the Europeans. They don't vote for him. Parading this tough line on trade and protectionism is very good for his base.

They're not interested in the same issues that he is -- TPP, the Iran agreement, climate change. And, you know, my summary is basically this. You claim success. You blame your predecessors. You flatter the allies with respect to how good the personal relationships are. And then you get out of town.

And you go to the one issue that will separate Donald Trump from all of his other predecessors, the one issue that becomes his bus ride into the history books and maybe even a Nobel if he could pull it off. That's what he cares about.

He doesn't --

WHITFIELD: But does the flattery work particularly to the audience of Merkel, you know, Macron -- all of them who are very much big proponents of the environment, the Paris Accord and the meetings this afternoon that he's skipping out on pertain to those items?

MILLER: No, it doesn't work at all. I mean European heads have been exploding ever since Donald Trump became president. And it's undermining American values and interests in the process.

But there's a reality here and they all know it. We still are the most consequential power on earth with the best balance of economic, military and soft power. So they're going to have to figure out a way to adjust and deal with the United States. And I think Trump is basically marshaling and pushing that ticket.

WHITFIELD: Next step -- North Korea, you know, summit in Singapore. The President summarized his expectations by making it sound like it's going to be relatively easy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: This has probably rarely been done. It's unknown territory in the truest sense. But I really feel confident. I feel that Kim Jong- un wants to do something great for his people. And he has that opportunity.

And he won't have that opportunity again. It's never going to be there again. So I really believe that he's going to do something very positive for his people, for himself, his family.

He's got an opportunity, the likes of which I think almost -- if you look into history -- very few people have ever had. He can take that nation with those great people and truly make it great. So it's a one-time -- it's a one-time shot. And I think it's going to work out very well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, David -- a few things. I mean he said also that he will know within a minute whether there's a connection, whether things will go well. At the same time in the sound bite, he really is making declarative statements about what North Korea needs to bring to the table.

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. A couple of things worrisome -- Fred, about what the President said right there. Going back to Thursday, I believe, when he said this meeting is not as much about preparation as it is about attitude. That goes along with this idea of I'll know in a minute.

WHITFIELD: I'll know in a minute.

SWERDLICK: The President has gotten to where he is by instinct and I think he is saying very clearly he thinks he will continue to go further by instinct.

The problem is that if you're looking at this, as he just said in that clip you played, as a one-time shot you're setting yourself up for failure. This is a one-time shot for President Trump and for Kim Jong-un to get a photo-op to signal to the world that they are trying to make peace.

But if you leave the meeting and all you've got is a photo, you've given that to someone who was a rogue leader before and you haven't gotten denuclearization, which in theory is the issue that is lying underneath all this.

DEMIRJIAN: You're never going to get denuclearization in one shot, even if the President says that.

SWERDLICK: Right.

DEMIRJIAN: I mean they've been walking that back. But you're right, it would be a hand-off to the North Koreans, and a victory for them.

You also have to take into account that the North Koreans are doing their homework. And if you're the one is not doing his homework and then going and facing off with people who have been studying you because this matters so much to them, and they don't have the attitude that it's all about attitude, then that makes a big difference.

WHITFIELD: And he didn't mention specifically or highlight denuclearization. When he talked about one shot, he was also talking about in association with the improvement of lives of North Korean people.

So Aaron -- what's the signal, I guess, that he's sending prior to his departure?

MILLER: It's mixed. I helped prepare three or four presidential summits on the Middle East, most of which failed. So I've become kind of an expert on what not to do.

[11:14:57] The one thing he is right about is that he has so reduced expectations to an optical zero that he has allowed enough political margin for this meeting to take place and -- and the end is critical here -- to get a mandate in a negotiating framework to move forward.

So the question for this guy is will June 11th, the day before the summit, be different than June 13th, the day after? Will normal human beings, like the four of us, look at this and say you know something, something very important has happened here.

Just last comment. You know, Woody Allen says that 90 percent of life is just showing up. It's not exactly right. It's showing up at the right time.

And Trump has good timing on this. President Moon of South Korea is pushing this and Kim has nukes now and he may want to pivot. So as the President says, we'll see.

WHITFIELD: And others may argue preparation is also a key component --

MILLER: It's important.

WHITFIELD: -- of that plan.

MILLER: It's important.

WHITFIELD: And so Brian -- you know, the President knows, understands, you know, the power of the media, the power of the microphone. Was he using that opportunity as a bullhorn prior to his departure?

STELTER: Right. Both setting the narrative and lowering the bar, as you all were just saying. You know, some of the claims of these sorts of surprise pressers are just totally bogus.

The President likes to say that the U.S. has a trade deficit with almost every country. That is absolutely not true. And he has said it so many times I think it's fair to call it a lie.

What we oftentimes talk about is he lying, is telling the truth, is it in between? I think a lot of what we just heard is really wishful thinking. You know, it would fit in the category of wishful thinking. Wanting it to be true that he will be able to walk in and know based on touch and feel how the negotiations are going with North Korea; the idea that the relationship with these G-7 allies are a ten. That's not true. It's wishful thinking.

The President said we concluded a tremendously successful G-7. Well, it's not over yet, right. The rest of the countries are still meeting. But in his mind he wants it to be over, so he's engaging in a lot of wishful thinking.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brian Stelter, David Swerdlick, Karoun Demirjian, Aaron David Miller -- Thanks to all of you. Appreciate it.

SWERDLICK: Thank you.

MILLER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. President Trump extending a welcoming hand to Russia by way of messaging while feuding with key allies -- so how that could impact the United States on the world stage straight ahead.

[11:17:17] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: At any moment now, President Trump will be departing from Quebec on Air Force One after cutting his visit to the G-7 summit short. The President is heading to Singapore to hold an historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

And just moments ago, President Trump doubled down on his push for Russia to be reinstated to the summit despite staunch opposition from U.S. allies. Russia was ousted from the G-8 as punishment for Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

But President Trump believes the time has come for Russia to rejoin the exclusive group of major industrialized nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Some people like the idea of bringing Russia back in. This used to be the G-8, not the G-7. Then something happened a while ago where Russia is no longer in.

I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in. I think it would be good for the world. I think it would be good for Russia. I think it would be good for the United States. I think it would be good for all the countries of the current G-7. I think the G-8 would be better.

I think having Russia back in would be a positive thing. We're looking for peace in the world. We're not looking to play games.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Joining me right now to discuss this is Angela Stent. She is the director of Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University. All right. Professor -- it's so good to see you.

ANGELA STENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Great to be back on your show.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So the President, you know, classified it as something happened, as if he didn't know. We know it's the Russian, you know, invasion of Crimea and this was punishment removing Russia from the G-8, now it's G-7.

What is really behind the President pushing for, in your view, Russia being back on board?

STENT: Well, first just to reiterate. This is extraordinary, right. Russia was thrown out. It's not only annexation of Crimea; it's starting a war in Eastern Ukraine where at least 10,000 people have died and that war is still going on.

And there seems to be, you know, we know with President Trump he seems to admire President Putin. He wants to have a better relationship with him. He's looking forward, I think, to having a summit with him -- we read in the press.

And I think he also likes to decide his allies. He is a disrupter. He just -- you know, he says things and then the allies have to respond to that. As you said, none of them are ready to readmit Russia unless it starts complying with its withdrawal from Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: Italy chimed in with perhaps being, you know, in agreement with President Trump but under certain conditions.

STENT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: The President's timing on saying something like this, he said it just prior to departing for Quebec. He said it again, reiterating it today now as he's about to depart for Singapore. Might there be any correlation between Russia's potential involvement in North Korea and this summit perhaps?

STENT: Well, you could just see with him the kind of adrenaline rush. He is about to go to North Korea. He has said very flattering things about the North Korean leader, as opposed to criticizing his allies.

Russia is a more minor player in this issue. But it's still a player. It seems to me maybe the game plan is to go to North Korea, to have a successful summit, and come back from that and say look, I've achieved something which no one else has. And now it's time for me to meet with Vladimir Putin and really going against what most of his cabinets say about Russia and the U.S. Congress.

WHITFIELD: Has it become at all a little bit more clear to you why the President does, in so many different ways, seem to show an admiration for Vladimir Putin?

[11:25:03] STENT: I think he admires strong men. You can see that in the way he deals with different world leaders. He sees Putin as a strong leader and we know that he's been interested in Russia since he first went there in the late 80s.

He was trying to do business with Russia. We think that, you know, he would still like to build a Trump Tower there one day. So there are some things that are explicable about all of this. And then there are other questions about is there something about this we don't know?

And particularly since we have all of these domestic inquiries into what happened in 2016. It's even more remarkable that he's insisting on having this very forward-looking and praiseworthy view of Putin.

WHITFIELD: You're a student of Russia; you're a student of Putin. How might this be received for Putin?

STENT: Oh, I think the Russians are very happy that they're being invited by the President back into the G-8. They've said we're not interested in it. Putin is in China just as the G-7 is taking place. He and the Chinese president have just signed all of these security and economic agreements.

So officially, the Russians are saying we have other choices. We're not really interested in these western clubs anymore. But I'm sure that they're very happy that this has happened. And they're waiting, hopefully from their point of view, to have a summit with the United States.

WHITFIELD: All right.

And what is your expectation of perhaps how relations between the President and European allies might either improve or, you know, deteriorate as a result of the past 48 hours?

STENT: Well, unfortunately, it looks as if they're going to deteriorate because to have him say that he has -- he gives his relationship with the European countries a ten, if you look into what he's been -- or you read what he has been tweeting, you listen to what the European leaders have been saying, I would say this is a new low.

This is worse than what happened in 2003 when France and Germany were against the invasion of Iraq. I've never seen something like this, particularly on these trade disputes.

So, I don't think that's going to get any better. And I think what you will see is a G-6 plus one going forward.

WHITFIELD: All right. Professor Angela Stent, Georgetown University -- always good to see you.

STENT: Great to be on.

WHITFIELD: Thank you.

STENT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Next, the art of the deal. Just moments ago, President Trump declaring he is working on a one-on-one deal with some key allies that could impact your wallet. Details on that -- straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:31:52]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. President Trump leaving the G7 Summit in Canada early without being convinced to give up or modify his tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a major point of contention at that meeting.

The president also pushing to renegotiate NAFTA and possibly forging a one-on-one deal with Canada and Mexico. Here is what he said just a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Two things can happen on NAFTA. We'll either leave it the way it is, as a threesome deal with Canada, with the United States and Mexico, and change it very substantially. We're talking about very big changes or we'll make a deal directly with Canada and directly with Mexico.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Here to talk about it, senior finance correspondent for "Business Insider," Linette Lopez, and CNN senior economics analyst and former Trump economics adviser, Stephen Moore. All right. Good to see you both.

All right. So, Linette, you first, he is proposing there are two potential ways in which it would go. How smart is it to sign post it that way?

LINETTE LOPEZ, SENIOR FINANCE CORRESPONDENT, "BUSINESS INSIDER": It seems like the negotiators in NAFTA are running circumstances around our guys. And, you know, I think that the president and his staff are not dealing with the new reality. Even just looking at the size of global economies now, the G7 used to be 50 percent of the global economy back in 1980.

Now it's 30 percent. Globalization has made countries that used to be much smaller than the United States, countries that we used to be able to push around very strong, especially Mexico's trade delegation is very, very smart.

And I think that what we're coming to realize is that this is a little bit more difficult than Mr. Trump had thought that it would be. We are not in the 1980s anymore. The United States does not have the leverage that it used to have.

I would like to make an additional point, which is that he said during these meetings that Russia should be allowed back into the G8. Russia has no business being anywhere the G anything. There's a very small economy.

After the G7 making up 30 percent of the global economy comes China with 18 percent then India. Russia is nowhere near where we should be. Crimea aside, it's simply, you know -- back in 2002 when they were allowed into the group it was kind of a way to reward Vladimir Putin for seeming like he was going to be a Democratic leader and run a capitalist nation. Now it doesn't look like that at all. So, they have no business being anywhere near this.

WHITFIELD: Stephen, something else we've heard from the president today, you know, talked about the Wharton plan, no tariffs, in order to promote trade. What do you think about that idea?

STEPHEN MOORE, CNN SENIOR ECONOMIC ANALYST: I love it. Look, I'm a free trade guy. I've talked to Donald Trump a lot about this over the last couple of years. He has always told me I'm a free trader, but I want fair trade.

The truth is that Trump had a strong point with these European leaders and Japan and others, which is that they impose higher tariffs than we do. It's just a fact of the matter. It's really difficult for us to penetrate some of these markets.

And so, what he's saying look, that's not fair. You're going to have to lower your tariffs. That would eventually lead to freer trade. You're exactly right. Free trade over the last 25 or 30 years has been one of the most pro -- prosperity things in history.

[11:35:12] You know, but the issue is, look, Trump has made it very clear. We can't go on with the current arrangements. One of the things that he said in his press conference that I thought was interesting, that I loved hearing and a lot of the American people loved hearing, we're not going to be the piggy bank for the rest of the world.

WHITFIELD: Let's listen to him say that.

MOORE: And we have been frankly and that was one of the big themes. It's sort of the America first thing. We do want to be part of the global economy, but we don't want to be pay --

LOPEZ: We're skinning that calf the wrong way, though.

WHITFIELD: We'll get to that.

LOPEZ: Skinning that calf the wrong way.

WHITFIELD: Here is the president as he made the reference to the U.S. and a piggy bank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: It's going to change. It's not a question of I hope it changes. It's going to change 100 percent and tariffs are going to come way down because we -- people cannot continue to do that. We're like the piggy bank that everybody is robbing, and that ends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Linette, you disagree?

LOPEZ: I absolutely disagree -- well, there is no -- you can argue whether or not we should renegotiate our trade agreements. You can argue about that. What I am here to argue about is the way that we're doing this, which is completely incorrect. Insulting or allies, trampling on our relationships and going back on our promise of democratic and free trade unity --

WHITFIELD: But his style is -- that's leverage for him.

LOPEZ: It is the wrong style. I remember on April 1st, you wrote in the "New York Post," that we were winning this trade war because we have the Korean deal, because we had a $50 billion -- we are not winning this trade war. We are not winning at all because the style is wrong.

MOORE: It's early.

LOPEZ: It's a failing strategy. It was early to declare victory.

MOORE: I'm not declaring victory.

LOPEZ: It was an April fools.

MOORE: I don't recall saying that.

WHITFIELD: How much time, Stephen, before --

MOORE: I think it will take months.

WHITFIELD: I'll check the tea leaves.

MOORE: Linette, here is the problem with a lot of people in the international community are saying. Go to Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and you ask these workers, how do you think these trade deals have worked? I'll tell you --

LOPEZ: I'm glad you're bringing that up. I'm glad you're bringing that up.

MOORE: You know, this was an issue that really resonated with a lot of these middle-class hard-hat voters who basically said this isn't working for us. Now Trump isn't saying we want to reinstate tariffs around the world. He's saying we want other countries to open their markets to us.

And if this works out, it's going to take months, I think. This isn't close to being done. It could benefit everybody in the world because it would be lower tariffs. I mean, I'll give you just one quick example.

Canada imposes price controls on our drugs and vaccines and pharmaceutical products. Americans ask why are drugs and vaccines so expensive here? Well, it's because other countries are imposing price controls. That means American consumers have to pay more for it. If Canada, Japan, China and all these other countries pay their fair share, our prices fall. It's one little example of how the rest of the world abuses us.

LOPEZ: I'll give you an example, too. Regalware, a Wisconsin manufacturer, they were just in a townhall with their congressman this weekend saying that Trump's steel tariffs will cost them $150,000 -- $150,000. Is this a winning strategy? No.

Is this going to help American manufacturers? Is this going to help American consumers? Absolutely not. The most dangerous thing we can introduce to the economy right now is inflation. That's exactly what the Trump administration is doing.

MOORE: Tariffs are taxes.

LOPEZ: So, forget that tax reform you keep, you know --

WHITFIELD: Celebrating. All right. We'll leave it there for now, Linette Lopez, Stephen Moore. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

MOORE: Welcome to Washington.

WHITFIELD: Thank you very much. Great to be here.

MOORE: Welcome to the swamp.

WHITFIELD: I don't see it that way. This is home for me, so it is far from the swamp. I like it. All right. Thanks so much.

All right, next, remembering the life, the passion and love of CNN friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. I'll speak to a fellow chef who knew him well, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:43:36]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in D.C. We're remembering our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain, who died at the age of 61 after taking his own life in France. He was found in his hotel room in France yesterday, where he was working on an upcoming episode of "PARTS UNKNOWN."

Here was a photo of Bourdain taken just days ago in France with chefs, Julian Truger (ph) and Eric Ripert (ph). The world is now mourning the celebrated chef and storyteller. Tony was a beloved figure here at CNN. Take a listen to some of our favorite moments from "PARTS UNKNOWN."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: So, Budapest, I don't know why it took me so long to get here. Everybody said it was great. It is, in fact, great. Multicultural, awesome mash-up of cool stuff that we haven't talked about. In a spectacular environment, I think what I should tell you is this. Hawaii, it's awesome. Don't come here. Don't want to get all heavy and philosophical at this point, why I'm here, what my mission is, what I expect to find. Basically, retracing my steps and all that. We'll talk about that later. Right now, noodles!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining me right now, Chef Scott Brian, a long-time friend of Bourdain's. Scott, good to see you. All of our hearts are still so much aching. You've known him for 25 years.

[11:45:08] Just looking at the clips of Anthony Bourdain, it just reminds you how much he was showing everybody really how to fully enjoy and relish life. What are your precious memories of your good friend?

SCOTT BRYAN, CHEF, THE MILLING ROOM, FRIEND OF ANTHONY BOURDAIN: I remember Tony when Tony was like a struggling cook, you know. And the thing I remember about him the most is I liked him right off the bat because of his sarcasm, quick wit. When I opened indigo in '95, '96, that's how I met him. We've been good friends ever since.

WHITFIELD: So, you knew him well before much of the public, outside of the chef hemisphere got to know him, particularly through his book, you know, "Kitchen Confidential" and things that he wrote prior to that. That really seemed to put him on the map. In your view, you know, did he remain the same Tony, the same Anthony Bourdain?

BRYAN: He was. He was a straight shooter. He never really changed, you know, even when he became famous. I knew him back then and, you know, he was smoking cigarettes then and drinking martinis. You know, he was always the same guy. He never changed. It never got to his head.

He never let his ego get in the way. I just love his personality. I liked him from the minute I met him. He was quick witted and had that sarcastic, dry humor, which I loved, being from Boston.

WHITFIELD: We all loved that. So, what are you grappling with right now, amid his just over 24 hours since most of us learned that he took his own life while on assignment in France?

BYRAN: Well, the thing is, I worked with Eric Ripert and then worked for him and I spoke to Eric last week. He told me he was going with Tony. I said tell him I say hello and tell him let's try to get together for a drink and chat because we never see each other, because he's always so busy.

But I'm just completely dumbfounded, in a state of shock. I would never think this day would ever happen, especially Tony. He was always uplifting, fun guy. He wasn't like an irritable chef, temperamental tyrant. That's more like me. So, I'm just -- I'm dumbfounded, in shock.

WHITFIELD: What have you been reflecting on in this -- just over 24 hours now, of your relationship with Anthony Bourdain, what he brought to the table, so to speak, to everyone. Those who knew him personally and those who got to know him through his writing or even on the airwaves?

BRYAN: First and foremost, I think everyone is just so sad, because people that I don't even know, they know I'm a chef. They said hey, I read about you in "Kitchen Confidential." And Tony -- I never met the guy, but he seems like such a great guy, right to the point character in a way, you know. But he had that swagger. That's the sadness. It's going to take a while. It's painful, very painful.

WHITFIELD: It is very painful for so many, so many of us. I think about the first time I got to meet Anthony Bourdain before he had "PARTS UNKNOWN" on CNN. He came into the studio here in Atlanta in 2010. And I was struck at how shy he appeared to be and how quiet. And then once we got talking and, of course, talking about food, how he just, you know, blossomed like a flower and just emoted so much passion about food and travels.

BRYAN: Well, you know, I think tony was something like Robin Williams was. He could flip a switch and be that charismatic guy, you know. But when you're sitting down, drinking beer with him and just talking about food, he loved food, you know, as he loved food, as we all do. That's why he was so good on tv, was a great writer, and highly intelligence, obviously, quick wit.

WHITFIELD: Incredibly intelligent, quite the poet, a way with words. And you could feel what he was feeling. So genuine.

BRYAN: Without a doubt.

WHITFIELD: Chef Scott Bryan, thank you for your time and your beautiful memories.

BRYAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And the passing of Anthony Bourdain has touched so many.

[11:50:05] And we want to extend any kind of assistance we can to anyone out there who needs it. Perhaps they don't know they need it until they make a phone call. It is 1-800-273-8255. People are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And CNN will pay tribute to Anthony Bourdain with a special night of episodes of "PARTS UNKNOWN" that begins tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. We've got pictures to show you from moments ago. The president leaving Quebec City on his way to Singapore to embark on his scheduled and expected to be historic meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

We understand he is leaving Marine One and then will soon be boarding Air Force One as it departs Canada there. This is what the president had to say a bit earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: This is probably rarely being done. It's unknown territory in the truer sense, but I really feel confident. I feel that Kim Jong-un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity. And he won't have that opportunity again. He's never going to be there again.

So, I really believe that he's going to do something very positive for his people, for himself, his family. He's got an opportunity the likes of which I think almost if you look into history very few people have ever had.

He can take that nation with those great people and truly make it great. So, it's a one-time, it's a one-time shot, and I think it's going to work out very well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:55:12] WHITFIELD: All right, the president there calling it a one-time shot that North Korea, and I'm quoting now, "will be a tremendous place," particularly based on potential he sees in this scheduled summit that will be taking place in Singapore starting on Tuesday.

The president leaving Quebec City, Canada, momentarily, on his way to Singapore for that planned summit. We've got so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM and it all starts right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Washington, D.C.

We start with breaking news. President Trump just boarded Air Force One to start making his way to Singapore for the highly anticipated sit-down meeting with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. Trump is leaving the G7 Summit early for --