sunday night on q&a, virginia tech professor james robinson discusses his book, "after the civil war." >> state allegiance was very deep. it went as far back to generations as there were settlers in the country. i think one has to keep that in mind. slavery is without question the major cause of the civil war, but you can explain the actions of good, decent men, they fight because virginia needs them, nothing they supported the confederate cause, neither one day. 8:00ncer: sunday night at eastern on c-span's q&a. singapore was the prime minister is the guest of honor at tonight was the state dinner at the white house. it is the first official visit by a prime minister from the

country's 1985, and our coverage this evening, about 55 minutes away, will be here on the north portico of the white house on pennsylvania avenue at the joint colorguard prepares for this evening was he a writer of the prime minister and his wife. we will have that life for you at 6:55 eastern. the prime minister and president obama held a joint news conference where he said donald trump is "fully unprepared." the washington times writing this is donald trump for in an unusual degree for a sitting president is you can see the news conference beginning 8:00 eastern on c-span. here is part of what the president said. >> thank you, mr. president. given the republican nominee's recent comments about the khan family in that as president he would consider recognizing russia's's annexation of crimea. does this make you recognizes

temperament to be president? use of the worst mistake of your presidency may have been your failure to plan for the aftermath of the 2011 nato intervention in libya. the new decision to t results is a direc of that. ? president obama: yes, i think the republican nominee is unfit to be president. he keeps proving it. the notion that he would attack haved star family that made such extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of of our fact that he does not appear to have basic knowledge around critical issues

asiarope, the middle east, , means he is woefully unprepared to do this job. this is not just my opinion. i think what has been interesting is the repeated denunciations of his statements ,y leading republicans including the speaker of the and the senate majority leader and prominent republicans like john mccain. i think the question they have to ask themselves is, if you are , inatedly having to say very strong terms that what he unacceptable, why

are you still endorsing him? what does this say about your party that this is your standardbearer? this is not a situation where gaffe butn episodic this is daily and weekly where they are distancing themselves from statements he is making. there has to be a point where you say, this is not somebody i can support for president of the united states. he purports to be a member of my party. fact that that has not yet happened makes some of these denunciations bring home. i do not doubt their sincerity. i do not doubt that they were

outraged about some of these statements that mr. trump and his supporters said about the khan family, but there has to be a point where you say, somebody who makes those kinds of statements does not have the judgment, the temperament, the occupy the most powerful position in the world. upon thepeople depend white house getting stuff right. this is different than just having policy disagreements. i recognize that they all profoundly disagree with myself or hillary clinton on tax policy , on certain elements of foreign but there have been republican presidents with whom

i disagree with but i did not have a doubt that they could function as president. right and mitt romney and john mccain were wrong on certain policy issues, but i never thought that they could not do the job. , i would have been disappointed, but i would have said to all americans, this is our president and i know they are going to abide by certain , common sense, , willbserve basic decency have enough knowledge about economic policy and foreign policy and our constitutional rule of law thatil

our government will work and we will compete for years from now to win an election, but that is not the situation here and that is not just my opinion. that is the opinion of many prominent republicans. there has to be a point in which you say, enough. is that theive entire party, the republican endorsingffectively invalidating the positions that are being articulated by mr. trump, and as i said in my speech last week, i do not think that represents the views of a lot of republicans. announcer: all of today's news conference will air on c-span at 8:00 eastern. before that, we will have the singapore prime minister arriving for the state dinner with his wife so we will have

coverage from the north rico beginning at 6:55 easter. right now, another event with the prime minister at the state department. vice president joe biden and secretary of state john kerry holding a luncheon. this is 30 minute. [chatter] >> ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states and the secretary of state for the united states accompanied by the prime minister of singapore. [applause]

sec. kerry: thank you very much. please come everybody, please take your seats. welcome to the state department, mr. prime minister and mrs. lee and mr. vice president, dr. biden, my counterpart, foreign minister and distinguished guests. we are really delighted to welcome you here this afternoon. your excellency, we have been very, very much well looking forward to welcoming you here. i am personally pleased for the chance to repay you for the many visits i have made to your beautiful country in the warm hospitality i have continued to receive. in particular, last year where we had a chance to visit. as the president said repeatedly in both private conversation and public, singapore may be a small

country, but it is a small country with an extraordinarily large impact on its region and in the even on the world. your leadership, mr. prime minister over the last years has contributed very significantly to a model of good governance, andconomic united is an intercultural harmony, and i am not just saying that because you went to graduate school in massachusetts. [laughter] verykerry: no, this elegant set of rooms we are privileged to borrow for the purposes of our diplomacy see us gathered in a place that is dedicated to the memory of the men and women who founded the united states of america more than 200 years ago. in singapore, the memory of the

nation's founder is still very much the forefront of everybody's mind. you in 1967 when leak one arrive for the first state visit, president lyndon johnson refer to him as a formidable thinker, as the architect of his nation's future, as the spokesman for new generations in a new asia and as the number one golfer among all presidents and prime ministers in the world. [laughter] sec. kerry: in the decades that followed, every element of that description was born out. during my years in the united states senate, i was privileged to take full advantage of the chance to meet with them as the vice president said, and both can attest there was no person, no mind that had as good a sense of strategy and a good understanding of the region as yo and we were privileged --yu

and we were privileged to solicit his thoughts on the emergence of china, the role of the united states in the region. i know our friend henry kissinger is here and he did the same, right? the founder was the first to really point out that the center of economic and political gravity in the world was shifting to the east, a trend that was later recognized what president obama early in his administration when he announced a rebalance of u.s. foreign-policy in the direction of asia. today, our friendship with single or and with prime minister lee hsien is playing a major role in that rebalance. companies3700 u.s.

have a presence in singapore. our students sit in each other's classrooms. we collaborate with training regional leaders of tomorrow, and are armed forces cooperate on every single level. it was singapore that actually invited the united states to join the landmark transpacific partnership, a packed that is good for american workers and businesses, good for singapore, good for the environment and essential to unite 40% of global economies around standards that create a race to the top, not a race to the bottom. the fact is if we listed the primary challenges facing the world today, to generate shared prosperity, fight corruption, defeat violent extremism, prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons, to preserve the environment, to help our planet

and to strengthen the rule wall both within and among nations, singapore and the united states are allies operating hand in glove on every single one of those issues. that is what strategic partnership means. that is a friendship, believe me, worth celebrating, which is precisely what we are here to do this afternoon. i am glad to say the have some help in doing that. in the monrovia road next or i just had the privilege of showing the prime minister a table where armed librarians have set up a display of books, maps and pamphlets relating to singapore's history which are a part of our archives. here and down stairs, all of you, we have been entertained by musicians from united states navy in army bands. we will be treated later to a performance by the stars of cameron macintosh is spectacular

new production, "the phantom of the opera." and in the next few minutes, we will enjoy the artistry of our wonderful guest chef, kevin's progress of philadelphia -- kevin spraga of philadelphia. i want to drink a toast and sql to join me in a toast, look before you raise your glasses, i want to say one thing. i listened carefully to the press conference with the president and the prime minister. i just want to say that i heard one of the most exquisite, articulate, powerful arguments for the tpp from the prime minister. argument which literally true on american history, on tariffs

and the things we have tried, and what it brought about, mainly depression. the prime minister said, "you know, you turn in the wrong direction, it may take years to get back from it, and it will be a great cost to the world." mr. prime minister, that is what we have come to expect from the prime minister of singapore, what we expect from you personally, why we are privileged to get. i drink a toast to you on the journey travel between our countries in the journey yet to be traveled on the mutual respect and great, great friendship between our countries. thank you. cheers. now it is my privilege to introduce my great friend and ce president of the united states, joe biden. [applause]

mr. biden: mr. prime minister, secretary kerry, secretary bob in many, our colleagues loters i'm leaving out, laa of important people. mr. kissinger, i do think it started with you. i want to get that clear. [laughter] mr. biden: there is a reason john was being so complementary about your press conference and you're talking about the history of trade agreements. we expect you back here in the lame duck session walked in the locked in the house. i want to start by sending our thoughts and good wishes to the american people, the former

president and a speedy recovery. youre honored to welcome here, mr. prime minister. over the years, i have had the privilege as has john in many in this room have had to meet with you on several occasions both here in washington and in singapore. improve oner try to the assertion at all, politics is local, but i think it is, i am going to try, i am old enough to do it, i think politics is personal, particularly with international relations. during that time, the prime minister and night many others got to know one another. jill and i will never forget the welcome you provided for both of us when we were in singapore three years ago. because inas special celebrating anre

anniversary, 50 years of yearstive partnership, 50 of commerce, 50 years of cooperation, friendship. when our nations first established diplomatic relations , as john eloquently pointed out, president johnson was particularly impressed with your father as well as everyone who white house -- who i have ever met has been. i think there were only two men in the world, and i do not think i know, i think there were only two men in the world i have met in my 44 year career that have such a strategic vision and such a command of international relations, and i would add, some wisdom. your father is one and i think henry kissinger was the other. the fact that they both had such high regard for one another

reinforces my judgment that i am right about the two of them. mumbai toy way from tokyo and then heading to beijing when i got a phone call when i stopped in singapore, and this is in addition to when you hosted me to meet with your father, because your father had known that i had, because of a major relationship, spent a lot of time with the president when he was vice president. we spent about nine days together, traveling in each other's countries, and your father, i set done with your father, which was a great honor, and at one point about five minutes into the conversation, we were talking about how quickly the president had consolidated power. i said, "what are the chinese doing now/"

i will never forget when your father said to me. he looked at me and said, "they are in the united states of america in for the very black box." i looked at him because this was the time the airliner went down and i said, "the very black box? he said, "yes. they are looking for the box that contains the secrets to allow america to constantly remake itself." and, followed by and you're singapore helping us remake our relationship with the entire region over the past 50 years, particularly in the last eight years that we have been here. i do not think even yu fully imagined how fruitful this relationship would become.

on the economic front, as john pointed out, we now have a two-way relationship, $16 billion a year. singapore cap for 85% of the investment to the united states with the asean. there are thousands of businesses in singapore. it is an economic partnership that is remarkable. it you size and quality, know, we play by the same rules. we both reward innovation, protect intellectual property and the world of governing businesses are transparent and they are fair and we both know these are, there is sort of a new rule of physics in international relations and that is, there are certain things that have to take place for a country to succeed economically.

you abide by all of those ingredients. our security relationship is equally strong. united states of america has been and will continue to be a pacific power. sustained presence in leadership in the region over the past seven years, quite frankly, has helped foster the region's remarkable rise from the philippines to china to australia. it is a view i know you share as well. no nation understands better than yours, mr. prime minister, that singapore has been the center of this administration's rebalance of the pacific. our military connected during my visit three years ago, visiting the uss freedom, a combat ship stationed at singapore is part of a commitment to ensure stability. mr. prime minister, both singapore and the united states understand as well that education is the key to success

in the 21st century for any nation. today, wife jill with me any nation that out educates us will outcompete us. we fully understand that. i want to thank you mr. prime minister for the new scholarships announced earlier today which will and now more singapore-american students to study and learn together. this is all to be celebrated, but our relationship goes well beyond our bilateral cooperation. relationship is rooted in the shared vision of of world, a shared vision what the world should look like in the 21st century. it is about dark mutual commitment to holding a liberal, will based international order,

otherwise security instability throughout the world would not be able to happen, to underwrite the security, we need this international will-based order. in the asia-pacific and beyond. both our nations understand that having secure lanes and sea lanes and open skies, that is what allows for the guarantee of free flow of commerce. having high standard trade agreements that protect worker rights and the environment in intellectual property, that is what drives economic growth and prosperity throughout the region. if we get tpp, i think it is going to advance economic cooperation throughout the world. having strong institutions like asean and international rules and norms, that is how to resolve disputes. we talked about that today in the oval and to ensure a peaceful future for all of the embassies. that is the future that

singapore in the united states are working side-by-side to build. that is why we stand together as partners to address the global threat of terrorism and violent extremism, both in the middle east in southeast asia, is again we talked about in the oval today. that is why we are doing more together to address the 21st century challenges, liberation, cyber security, climate change. it is a long agenda, but together, we can make real progress on the issues i have raised and that is why we are training our partners throughout asean to better take on the region's most of her to issues, everything from providing disaster relief to improving efficiency. we have proven that and we have accomplished more in the world when we work together. during our visit to singapore in 2013, as i said, i had the honor of visiting your dad before he as other worldd

leaders have told you, i do not think there is, i cannot imagine most of it like a runway into your home, all of the leaders wanted to meet with your father. if my father here, he was with you and say, son, you have a good boy. from the earliest days in singapore's journey your debt said, "a nation is great not by size alone. it is the will, cohesion, stamina and discipline of its people, the quality of their leaders which ensure it is honorable in history." in have accomplished honorable place in history over the last 50 years and the people of singapore has borne out the truth of his vision, becoming home of commerce, innovation, outpacing enough competing you ines that dwarf

size. they are gigantic. singapore's model for how a nation can rise with will and cohesion and stamina but it is still amazing how quickly, how quickly it happened. singapore has earned an honorable place in history, and i would like to now if i may, please join me in raising your glass to the friendship between the people of singapore and the united states into our people, and maybe partnership continue for the next 50 years and well beyond. thank you. the podium is yours, mr. prime minister. please. mr. hsien: vice president joe think secretary kerry, i the vice president and the secretary for hosting us for lunch and also your very warm remarks just now. i have had more of my share this

morning, so i will not board those of you that were there this morning by repeating myself. i would like to say we have a long and deep relationship between singapore and america. it is a friendship, a partnership, a corporation based not just on interest but also values, strategic perspectives and ideas which are shared in large measures and provide the basis for us to work together for many years to come. that also a relationship is ultimately about people, the people who love one another, understand one another and do not always agree, have different perspectives, but we can talk to each other and i can see why you think like that and i hope you can see why i think like that, too.

america forvisiting many years, that many in singapore have visited america, thousands a year and thousands of americans visiting singapore at any time. all over america you'll see in almost every state and city, helping that integration and that mutual understanding. i first came to the u.s., visited it in 19 4. i spent three years in england. in those days, america seemed a long way away but i came here and it was something of a culture shock because from cambridge, england, i came to oklahoma. [laughter] it was in the middle of summer.

the temperature was 105 degrees on certain days and i survived three months of that in an artillery school. which is still there and soldiers still go and train and exercise. very ambitious exercises which 40 years ago were unimaginable. after oklahoma, i went and spent three weeks in los angeles. it was with a company called litton industries. i'm not sure it still exists but it was a defense industry and you get a sense of the west coast, california, which is a law unto itself and different from the rest of america. full of vibrance, oriented towards the pacific and if it were an economy, it would be a big country in the world. even as it is, it's a big partner for us and a big source of our investments. a few years later i came and

spent time in america again. a place most of you would probably not have visited. fort leavenworth, kansas. [laughter] it's one of the best places in america, i assure you, not just because a penitentiary is there but because it's where you have your staff corps college for the army and you bring together every year at that time about 100 allied and friendly officers from other countries. they come, they study together, they get to know one another, they understand how you work. you hope you will enter operate with them, the nato forces and elsewhere. and anyway, you establish friends whom you keep for a very long time. in my case, i had military sponsors who i've stayed in touch with and here they are this afternoon. [applause]

40 years -- almost 40 years later. after fort leavenworth, i'm not sure, if you'd call it a reprieve, but i went to massachusetts. [laughter] it's the east coast. the rest of america will think that's not representative of america but you get to understand not only how the universities work but also how the universities link up with the government, with the think tanks and there's a constant flow of ideas, of people, of possibilities and therefore, you renew your intelligence intellectual batteries and you're able to harness your universities and your academics, some of your brightest minds on pratt cal problems of the world. i spent a year at the kennedy school. leavenworth said it was the best

year of your life and boston was not bad either. sampler s my initial but since then over the years, i've been all over and each time i visit a new city, you'll find there people who are different because america is diverse, people who are working hard in their own way overcoming their own problems. people who are open, welcome, friendly, who embrace you and make you feel at home. and it's unique and it's only in america. so today to be here today and have this chance to talk to all of you, i'm very grateful and very moved and i'd like to thank especially the vice president for introducing me. he was in singapore three years ago, visited us. he visited our nfl base where one of the -- navepl bails where one of the combat ships was, the

u.s.s. freedom. the first one to be deployed to sing pomplete i think they've rotated right now but right now there are two in singapore and eventually there will be four. and it's singapore's contribution to help america, to be engaged in the region, to help contribute to the security and the stability of the region and it helps our security and stability in southeast asia and in singapore too. the vice president has made a strong case for the t.p.p., as has the president and i know he's past master at securing votes on the hill for difficult problems like this and i look forward to his deploying all his powerings and getting the t.p.p. ratified very soon. and we will do all we can to help, whether in singapore or in america. also happy to see senator kerry

again or secretary kerry again, who visited us just in august last year. last time i saw him he was, i think, still in crutches but i'm glad he's here and i suspect he's cycling again. he's made many trips to asia and in substance very balanced. attended many meetings and also attended many meetings. so i hope that the u.s. will continue its rebalance -- and active endangerment in the region. it is something when -- which many, many countries in the region support and hope will stringen. they don't all express it in the same way. some of them find it more im plift than others. but sick pore has nailed our colors to the mast and stated our position for many years. it's a good thing and needs to continue. it's not just good for the

region where millions of souls depend on out but it benefits the united states greatly. it otherwise could be a very troublesome part of the world for you. finally, i'd like to pay tribute and thank the many u.s. ambassadors and diplomats who have served in singapore. they've played an important role, fostering the good relations between our two countries. many of you have remained good friends and engaged long after your tour of duty and your presence today testifies to the depths of the friendship between our two countries, not only the governments but also the peoples so may i now invite you to offer a toast to the enduring friendship between singapore and the united states and to wish that it will continue to strengthen and flourish for many years to come. thank you very much. >> cheers. >> cheers.

dd [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] >> we're live now at the port coo of the north entrance to the white house in about 20 minutes we expect the prime minister of singapore and his wife to be arriving for the state dinner this everyone. correspondent josh letterman covering the event. honor guard setting up at the white house for tonight's state dinner honoring singapore's prime minister. tonight's state dinner celebrates 50 years of u.s.-singapore relations. singapore today writes about while prepare lee talks state business with president obama, the president's wife and first

lady michelle obama spend the daye at the museum of art. we'll have live coverage here on c-span. until then, we'll find out what the guests at tonight's state dinner will experience. the flowers, the table settings and more. >> how are you? i'm the social secretary here and i'd like to welcome you to the press review in honor of the singapore state dinner happening on tuesday, august 2. singapore is the 13th state or official visit of the obama administration and the third of 2016. in a few minutes you'll see the decor close up and pear hear about the meal and hear from our wonderful participates, including the florist and the chef. we will represent many.

all of us cannot be here but i want to say thank you for all of my colleagues here at the white house and all of the agencies that helped us put it together. i'm going to hand it over to the person who helped us with all of our floral decorations. thank you. >> hello, everyone, and welcome to the press review. i'm here to present the florals for the state dinner. as you can see, the theme the allen:. it symbolizes our friendship that we share with both countries. singapore is known for its incredible or kids that are grown with -- orchids that are grown with much patience and care. we have ork i would say here. likewise the united states is known for its world-class garden roses, which we have showcased

in our arrangements. with both of them togetr, it represents the harmonious friendship between both countries. we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed puting together. thank you. -- tut the -- putting it together. thank you. and now to dan. >> good morning, everyone. i'm senior director for asian affairs here at the national security council. we very much look forward to welcoming prime minister lee hsien loong for listen an important visit to the white house next week. state visits and state dinners for an opportunity for the united states to reaffirm our ties and our film with america's most important and closest partners around the world and singapore clearly is one of our strongest, closest, and most reliable partners. in fact, when prime minister lee visits the white house next week, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary year of one of

our most important bilateral rhythms in aisha. the visit and state dinner also present an opportunity for president obama to resim ro indicate the hospitality that prime minister lee and the singapore showed him when he visited in 2009. it will allow the president to slow the close person relationship he has with president lee, a relationship based on personal respect. you'll see cooperation across the board. singapore sevens as host to our military operations across the country. it's been a strong proponent of the climate agreement. it's home to more than 3,700 u.s. companies and is a partner in and strong advocate for the transpacific trade partnership reement law enforcement,

security, global health, maritime security and combating climate change will be discussed. the two leaders will discuss ways we can further strengthen our close ties between our two peoples. they'll also highlight the economic and stragt strategic importance of the transpacific partnership trade agreement t.p.p. represents a crucial way to strengthen america's influence. t.p.p. be eliminate more than 18,000 tariffs on american exports and ensure that partner countries follow the same labor and environmental standards that we follow in the united states. t.p.p. will be good for the united states, be good for the region and it will be good for the world. prime minister lee's visit clearly reflects the vitally important role that singapore

plays in rebounds to the asia pacific. the united states is engaging more deeply across all of southeast asia, which is central to the region's peace and prosperity. both our nations are committed to building a regional order where all neighings play by the same rules, result disputes peacefully and collaborate. thank you very much. now i'll turn it over to greg. >> good morning. my name is chris. i am the white house executive chef. the singapore state dinner is a celebration of america's bounty all the way from the rich farmlands of california to the glistening waters to have chesapeake and incidentally, for our first course, we are serving our famous maryland grab crab, which is from cambridge, which

is accented with an asian hybrid of citrus. it's kind of like a cross between lime and couple quat and it's garnished with wonderful od vedgeables such as tarot, sweet potatoes, yams. we are highlighted toll tomatoes from a farm from ohio and we'll also, marry this with wonderful asian flavors. which is the papaya and mango. and act sented with another tropical oriental fruit. for the mainly course we are highlighting american wagyu beef garnished with roasted yams from california and also baby kale and some wonderful lemon grass.

to i'd like you to -- introduce you to our executive chef suzi. >> good morning, everyone. my name is suzi morrison. i'm the executive pastey -- pastry chef. i'd like to present afestive gathering. in hi left hand is a plate of dessert, a handmaid creation of with act endscake of lime leaf, bright yellow peaches from california are marinated with a variety of american red wine. included are orange and megranate juices and a light nglaise. e e

lastly, it's garnished with honey. n my right hand is a hand made creation. made of caramelized almond nuge with iningredients hand pulled and made of sugar. included is a miniature pastry. pineapple, coconut. white chocolate truffles, sesame cherry tarts, black says me plum macaroons and finally, what did i forget? the triple-layer almond cake. thank you very much. have a nice weekend. >> and a picture here of the 2016 kids state dinner, which was held last week with many of the participants from the first

lady's lets move program. tonight the meal was served on who i say china while the united states marine band played in the background. not sure if any of the kids got the red carpet treatment but weaver weight here on the north -- we're waiting here on the north port co-of the white house. awaiting the d is arrival of the prime minister of sick pore and his wife. our producer tweets that the senate democrats casey, martin and wilson and others will be attending tonight, the white house dinner for the prime minister. of course the house and senate are out this week. the color guard is ready and we might see the arrival momentarily.

>> some of the maneuvers of the joint forces color guard on the north front, the north port co-of the white house waiting the arrival of the singapore prime minister lee hsien loong and his wife, marking the 509 anniversary of diplomatic relation between the united states and singapore and the state visit by prime minister lee, the first by a singapore prime minister since 1985. president obama this week at the white house and other events and then the president and first family held to martha's vin yard this weekend for his august acation.

>> on c-span we're live at the north portico awaiting the arrival of the prime minister of singapore and his wife for the state dinner this evening. president obama and the first lady michelle obama will welcome the two as they arrive here. dinner tonight will be maryland blue crab salad. dessert peach sangria. this is the first state dinner with a singapore prime minister since 19 5. ronald reagan -- 1985. ronald reagan held the last state dinner for prime minister lee's father, then-prime minister lee kuan yew back in 985.

>> singapore prime minister lee wrapping up his weeklong state visit to the united states with a state dinner this evening at the white house. this is the north portico. president obama and first lady michelle obama will be coming

out of those doors shortly to welcome the singapore prime minister and his wife. a week that concludes with talks between the president and the prime minister and their staffs. the "wall street journal" saying that after meeting today with prime minister lee, the two leaders were still committed to the transpacific partnership trade deal, despite increasingly long odds of u.s. approval this year. they spoke at a news conference which we covered and will show you again at 8:00 eastern. the president said the agreement levels the playing field for our workers and helps ensure countries abide by strong labor and environmental rules. a senator saying that the sing porian prime minister makes the important point that t.p.p. has sitive geo political

implications as well. we're awaiting the arrival of he prime minister.

>> just before 7:00 on the east coast, we're live at the white house, the north port come. president obama and first lady michelle obama shortly will be welcoming the singapore prime minister and his wife, prime

minister lee hsien loong and his wife, marking the 50th anniversary of relations between the u.s. and singapore. the associated press saying an island nation of about 5.7 million. the allies share close economic and security ties with more than 3,500 u.s. companies having a presce in singapore.

>> president obama, whatever it is trips as president in 2009 was to singapore. we also covered this morning the arrival.

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president obama: good morning, everybody. today, we welcome our friends from singapore. [applause] president obama: we have some singapore weather. you can appreciate that. singapore is one nation with four official languages. let me just say, good morning.

languages] r languages] president obama: i am honored to welcome prime minister lee and states. to the united [applause] president obama: this marks the first visit by a singaporean prime minister in over 30 years and celebrates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations. of my friendship and partnership with prime and an opportunity to repay the hospitality that the prime minister and the people of singapore showed me during my first year in office when i was there for the apex summit in the traditional

dressing of shirts that are somewhat colorful, a tradition we will reserve only for those summits and are not duplicating today. a half-century ago, when singapore was an island of crowded tenements, few would have imagined it is like today. themselves asride being the little red dot on many maps with a big impact on the world. in less than a generation, under the vision and stewardship of prime minister lee kuan yew, singaporeans transformed their nation from third world to first. to did this with almost no natural resources except one, the people of singapore and their commitment to education, progress, and innovation. our singaporean friends say a

long road reveals the strength of your horse. a long time reveals the heart of your friends. i troubled singapore as a young boy in southeast asia. singapore as a young boy in southeast asia. we see it in those here today, including a lot of young uncles and aunties. we see it in the officers who academies,aporean more than the rest of asia combined. we see our friendship in collaboration between innovators and entrepreneurs from silicon valley through singapore's block 71. the prime minister himself recently wrote a program to solve sudoku puzzles, which michelle will want. ministerforeign translated that program into javascript.

today, our friendship and shared interests bring us together in common pursuit of a common vision, a peaceful and prosperous asian-pacific and a more secure world. as the united states has rebalanced foreign policy to the asia-pacific, singapore and prime minister lee in particular have been solid partners. of ourre is the anchor presence in the region. we stand together for a national order where every nation plays by the same rules and stand together to meet the threats of the 21st century from terrorism to disease to climate change. in this work, we draw strength from our people through societies built on multiculturalism and on merit. we callnited states, ourselves a melting pot of different races, religions, and

creeds. in singapore, it is different parts united in a glorious whole. if you play by the rules, you can make it. lee kuan yew one set of his country, and can be set of us, our countries are prepared to try anything to improve ourselves. mrs. lee,ster lee, with our eyes focused on the future, we welcome you to the united states of america. thank you. [applause] prime minister lee: president barack obama and mrs. michelle obama, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for this kind invitation. year. it is a busy

i watched you on television last week, michelle, too. it is an honor to be received with such a warm welcome as we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. my first official visit as singapore prime minister to the united states was in 1967. president lyndon johnson received lee kuan yew. singapore was newly independent. we were struggling to build a modern economy with no means to defend ourselves in a turbulent southeast asia. seekr. lee did not military or economic aid. dividedime, america was over the vietnam war. he came to take the measure of america's mood and intentions. he explained to his american friends why it should matter to america and why the active

engagement was important to millions of people living in southeast asia. government help to contain the spread of communism and gave social security, time, and space to consolidate and prosper. almost 50 years later, the world has completely changed. the cold war is long over. the threat of communism has disappeared. though at peace, tensions are not entirely absent. southeast asia has prospered through countries cooperating peacefully as members of asean. america's endurance, policies, and actions, have contributed greatly to this current peace and prosperity.

keeping your market open to trade, deepening your partnership with asean, and cooperating with countries in the region, you have helped create the basis for peaceful, rules-based regional and international order. president obama, the u.s. important to asia, an affirmation of a long-standing policy in the united states, has been warmly welcomed by all asean countries. to further build a constructive relationship with china will set a backdrop for the region and beyond. to personally push for the transpacific partnership, together with chile and new zealand, into what will be a major trading group linking both sides of the pacific. i know that america has many

preoccupations both at home and abroad. some americans are anxious and frustrated with economic uncertainty and the uneven results of globalization, trade, and for an engagement. gn engagement. but the u.s. has many investors and friends in the region. singapore fervently hopes the gaged and stay e maintain its indispensable role in the asia-pacific. in particular, we hope, and i'm sure the president shares this hope, that congress will ratify the tpp soon. not only will the tpp benefit american workers and businesses, it will send a clear and vital signal that america will continue to lead in the asia-pacific and continue to enhance partner sees --

partnerships that link our countries together. ties have remained steadfast through nine u.s. presidencies, five republican and four democratic. we will maintain these bipartisan links with whatever party wins in november. we will continue to build and deepen our economic and security relationships. we are partners in tackling the scourge of isis and other forms of violent extremism. our armed forces take part in exercises together and interact regularly. on this visit, president obama and i will discuss expanding already extensive cooperations to new areas, including private security and smart cities. governmentach beyond offices and corporate boardrooms to the hearts and minds of our people. thousands of singapore students and people study and work in

america. thousands of u.s. companies operate out of singapore. the largest american curriculum school outside of the u.s. and the world is in singapore. is a singapore american school. ,here are some alumni here obviously. in my many visits to america, i meet singaporeans living in different states, contributing in their own way to their host country and respective communities. i meet americans who have been the singapore and tell me about singaporean friends and their favorite food. i am very grateful for this opportunity to renew our partnership on this 50th anniversary milestone. i look forward to having many more occasions and reasons to celebrate this special relationship together. thank you, president obama. [applause]

♪

♪ [applause] >> a full day of activities and meetings at the white house for the prime minister, including a state dinner under way right now.

a look at the north side of the white house, where prime minister lee and his wife arrived a short while ago. this marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between the u.s. and singapore. u.s. news & world report writes it is an island nation of 5.7 million people. the allies share close economic ties with 400 u.s. companies with a presence in singapore. in half an hour or so, we will show you today's joint news conference with the president and prime minister. up next, some of the arrivals this evening for the state dinner. >> mr. matthew rees and miss ke rri russell.

kirk wagner and crystal meredith wagner. >> the honorable charles rifken and susan tolson. >> mr. joe kiani and mrs. sarah

kiani. buc -- >> the honorable bob kthorn and catherine marie buckt horn. >> the honorable tom miller and mrs. matthew miller.

>> the honorable bill nelson and mrs. gray nelson. >> as a matter of fact, someone called today saying they do not have to reconvene the senate. they have nine more pro forma sessions. the senate rules, by unanimous consent, they can bring up the past bill by unanimous consent and send it to the house and put the pressure on the house to act. if they do not understand this is now a crisis with what has

just happened in miami, then they have got, really, they are putting their heads in the sand. i have not had a response today. realistically, no. bites one a mosquito of the people who has traveled to kentucky. then he gets a transmitted case in kentucky. then we will get action. mr. douglas olberhman and man. diane olberh >> the honorable steve green and

mrs. dorothy green. >> mr. stephen lim -- lee. >> her excellency, tsong peng xi. ng leung.u >> the honorable casey bates ed

anne bates. >> the honorable bob casey and mrs. therese casey. >> mr. ong tsing. >> lieutenant colonel wong qi ming.

the honorable patrick kennedy . >> [inaudible] >> mr. greg robinson. mrs. kelly robinson. >> mr. charles sharp. mrs. haylee sharp. >> mrs. ornella barra.

>> mr. matthew doherty. >> the honorable peter welch. >> the honorable daniel russell and mrs. keiko russell. [inaudible] mund brewer and mr.

john brewer. >> excuse me? i have been to singapore. is this your first state dinner? >> no. i have been to probably five state dinners. you. >> the honorable jacob new. >> the honorable dennis hecht hecht.. paula

>> mr. raymond o'connell. >> is this your first state dinner? >> yes. usually, i am on the other side of the rope. good to see you.

courtridge. sopervile. >> the honorable shawn casey and mrs. casey.

>> the honorable edward markey.

susan blumenthal. >> major jeremy haines and mrs. chelsea haines.

>> what is your connection to the white house? >> yes, ma'am. i wrote a letter about my , how my wife as a caregiver had to provide for me, feed me, bathe me. i was basically starting over with life. she put her entire life on hold from working on an mba. she is a drill sergeant in the army reserve. she put her military career on hold and focused on me.

letter asking that my wife get the opportunity to attend the event mrs. obama was hosting. i did not know it was going to be a state dinner. wife'sor is making my dream come true, meeting her heroine. >> what you think of trump's comments toward the khan family? >> since i am active duty, i cannot really give an opinion on politics. >> this is history for you? >> it is amazing to be here. thank you. >> thank you, ma'am.

>> mr. michael david bowman. >> mr. philip rosenthal. >> thank you. >> thanks, everybody. parker and mr. brett parker.

>> mr. jack krakenmeyer and mrs. elizabeth krakenmeyer. f and mrs. diane bakoff.

>> mr. lawrence delaney and mrs. carolyn delaney. mr. devon perette and mrs. monica perette. >> mr. timothy armstrong and

mrs. nancy armstrong.

>> the honorable gabriel giffords and captain mark kelly. and the guests arriving for

tonight's state dinner. we continue with more of the singapore official visit honoring prime minister lee and his wife. the visit commemorates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. here is what it looked like on the north portico as the singapore prime minister and his wife arrived.

>> in that state dinner for those singapore prime minister and his wife under way this evening. safety say that presidential politics is the topic of conversation across many tables at the state dinner this evening. news this afternoon from the campaign, an interview with philip rucker from the washington post in an interview with donald trump. trump refuses to support paul ryan and john mccain in upcoming primaries. donald trump is refusing to back

house speaker paul ryan in his upcoming primary election, saying in an interview today he is "not quite there yet." trump also said he is not supporting senator john mccain in his primary in arizona. he singled out kelly ayotte as a leader in newyal hampshire, a primary trump won handily. nehlen forpaul running a very good campaign. the report this afternoon from phil rucker of the washington post. shortly thereafter, this is a tweet from frank thorpe, a producer with nbc. spokesperson for speaker ryan said he never asked for donald trump's endorsement. neither speaker ryan nor anyone on his team has asked for donald trump's endorsement. we are confident in a victory

next week regardless. back to kelly ayotte. reaction to some of the comments that donald trump has made about the khan family. kelly ayotte saying today, i call it like i see it. i am always going to stand up for military families and what's best for the people of new hampshire. we will hear more from donald thep and issues like transpacific partnership from the singapore conference coming up. we will show you the state dinner toast this evening. there are primaries today in four states throughout the country. michigan, missouri, and washington. other members have a chance to visit. postingassley from iowa on instagram earlier today,

meeting with frank hoff from norwalk, presenting him a purple heart in front of his family. frank was a specialist in the vietnam war. an overdue and well-deserved honor for frank hoff. this evening is national night out. a national night of awareness for fighting crime. norman torres of california with a tweet, hope to see you tonight in celebrations across the 35th district for a national mat out. also a good night for baseball in fort wayne. video of joe donnelly taking tickets at the fort wayne ti nhats, the minor league team. the hour-long news conference today with president obama and singapore prime minister lee.

>> ladies, the president of the united states and the prime minister of the republic of singapore. i'm honored to welcome prime minister lee and his delegation. nd i always value his insight, counsel and our thoughts today are with former president and we join the people of singapore in praying for his full and speedy