korea meeting. we will take your calls. the conversation on facebook and twitter as well. "washington journal" is next. host: good morning. when the house returns this week, three major items on the agenda, beginning with a rewrite 2010e 2010. frank bill -- dodd-frank bill. the house taking up the right to try legislation, allowing patients to try drugs that still don't have full fda approval. and the defense authorization bill. half-staffemain at in the u.s. capitol and around the country on this sunday, may

20, to honor those who died friday in santa fe, texas. headlines continue to focus on that shooting which left eight students and to teachers that. what if anything can be done to prevent these types of mass shootings, and when will they stop? our phone lines are open. (202) 748-8000 is our line for democrats. for republicans, (202) 748-8001. if you are an independent, (202) 748-8002. with school shootings taking place in this country, when will they stop? you can also talk to us on twitter. we will read it. good sunday morning. thank you for being with us. this is the headline from the houston chronicle, missed but never forgotten. describing those that were seen

as kind, sweet, shy, beloved. when is it going to stop? students react to the santa fe shooting. that is our question this morning. give us a phone call. a couple of tweaks coming in. this firm richard rogers, the nra making cowards of politicians. another saying, america loves its guns more than its children. sebastian gorka, former presidential adviser to donald trump appeared on fox friday evening with sean hannity, he says the solution lies at the local level. complicatedot a problem to solve. geraldo is half right. we secure federal buildings. we secure banks. this is about controlled access to the most precious thing in

our country, our children. i disagree. to fixxpect uncle sam this for you. it is not about reinforcing the attitudes of the nanny state. this should be done at the local level. if the local school council or municipality cannot sort this out, it is not that the federal government that sorts it out. controlled access is key. host: that is from sebastian gorka, former presidential adviser. this headline from cbs news, how can we stop school shootings? the secret service has some ideas, which include the following recommendations. pointing out that incidents of targeted violence in schools were rarely sudden or impulsive. most of the attackers start through a process of idea, plan, and then the attack. incidents, other

people knew about the attackers ideas or plan to attack. most attackers engage in some behavior prior to the incident that indicate a need for help. that is from the u.s. secret service. how can we stop school shootings is the headline. we go to ohio, independent line. good morning. caller: good morning. i am wondering why -- i agree with him, it has to start locally. it has to start with the parents. i was raised in a home full of guns. my father kept those guns under lock and key where we could not get access to the guns. he was responsible with his weapons. on top of that, the schools are letting too much bowling going on. -- bullying going on.

a lot of this has to do with bullying at the schools. if you're are not on their good side or buddy buddy, they ignore the children. i see that in my own children here. my granddaughter has been bullied to the point she doesn't want to go to school. what are the kids supposed to do? they have the frustration and everything. it is a bad combination. the responsibility starts with the parents because the parents have to raise their children not to bully, abuse, give weapons. it starts with the parents. et from donna, when are we getting your thoughts and prayers? they aret look like ever going to stop. .com laments the texas school shooting and demands -- donald trump laments the texas school shooting and demands action. jessica is joining us from

nevada, democrats line. good morning. caller: good morning. thanks for taking my call. i firmly believe the secret service is right as far as the idea and the plans and behavior. it comes from culture. typically, culture is music to children. by culture. driven they are ready to jump and dance at everything. one famous song says, you better run, run for my gun. top 10.it to the i see the music, a lot of reference to using guns. it starts with music producers. i think the culture is key. host: thank you for the call.

says these types of attacks will not stop until weapons are banned. this is from today's washington post. more than 214,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since columbine. you can get the full story at washingtonpost.com. it's good to chris in texas. caller: good morning. i am a 68-year-old vietnam that-. -- vet. when i was a kid, we started with a prayer and pledge of allegiance in school. we do not have any problems until prayer was taken out of school. withan't we have prayer who wants to participate in religious service or something

back in school? why can't we put it back in and see if that doesn't improve things? host: thank you. on the republican line, -- front texas, for the texas school preparation is not prevention. republican line, good morning. onler: you are focusing lethal weapons. you have closed campuses that don't do enough. you want to get rid of school shootings? school administration accountable for criminal harassing. the second amendment, it doesn't have to be a lethal weapon. a student can keep an airsoft pistol in their purse or backpack. should they be named called? that is not enough.

they should be able to pull gun out as a first step of self-defense. out, leave aeye bruising welt. i do not condone offensive fire, but using defensive fire, and airsoft pistol is not legal. quote fromis the the houston police chief, when you hear young people say i knew it could happen here, it tells me we fail. good morning, dennis. caller: good morning. do witha has a lot to what is going on.

they are calling it the new normal. that is a mistake. nothing normal about shooting and killing people. they have been saying it. they were saying it about a year ago. the new normal. that is no way to go about anything. calling it normal is wrong. i have a big problem with that. times,rom the new york this is school in america now. a screenshot from abc channel 13 in houston, texas, as though students walked out the morning of the shooting. nate is joining us from baltimore. go ahead. caller: hello. this is nat. i am a world war ii veteran. rotc when i was in high school. i lived in coney island.

springfield1903 that was issued to me every tuesday and thursday. the entire school was tuned on the american way. it seems to me that this teaching of the kids all this socialism has confused their minds completely. it is certainly not the guns. it is the perpetrators. i wish i were smart enough to know what the solution is. it certainly means that we should they more attention -- pay more attention to the aberrations of some of these kids. host: thank you. fromhy is joining us sydney, ohio, democrats line. we are asking school shootings, when will they stop? caller: i am wondering why metal

detectors at schools has not been mentioned. this would prevent children from taking guns into the schools. i agree, stop the bullying. put prayer back in school. we have to protect the children. why not metal detectors so they cannot take them in? host: thank you for the call. clues to why begin to emerge. and details on the shooter what led him to the horror that took place friday. (202) 748-8000 is our line for democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. sam from nebraska. good morning. caller: hello. i wanted to comment on the earlier bullying comments. i thought the problem really wasn't bullying. bullying has been happening since the 1920's or earlier in

school. the problem is access to firearms. i am a firearm owner. i'm a proud firearm owner. i think a lot of americans are. obviously, there is an issue when mentally disturbed individuals are getting a hold of firearms and able to do this in schools these days. i think we need to have a rather frank conversation as americans, as firearms owners and as responsible citizens what the real causes of school shootings are. that's all. host: this sunday morning, we are getting faces to those killed. it is no longer just a number. eight students, including the first victim believed to be a girlfriend or someone who wanted to be the girlfriend of the shooter, the first of eight students killed.

these are the faces on the washington post. we will watch for just a moment. our question, school shootings, when will they stop? jesse is joining us from north carolina. good morning. caller: how are you doing? host: go ahead. using thefeel like military in this thing, getting them to all the schools in texas and the entrances be limited. host: thank you. tj has this tweet. wanting to take guns away from law-abiding citizens is not going to stop harm from

happening to people. insanity of the democrats. i don't believe you can stop this shooting by banning guns. what will happen, someone will and thea fire alarm, kids will become targets either by guns, bombs, or truck. someone who wants to kill students can do it. there are all sorts of crazy things that can be done. we have to teach people how to protect themselves in circumstances like this. i am more concerned about the drugs that are killing kids right now. host: thank you. post, gunsshington are not the problem. the new york times, terrified but determined students fought

to stay alive amid the gunshots. time in santa fe, texas. na, good morning to the conversation. caller: good morning. many ethnic groups commit crimes is really, but what stated is the european american white people. what is it that most of these crimes are committed by a white european american, whether serial killers or mass murderers. culture, and when people stop saying it is a mental issue, what is it with the european-american culture that most of these serial killers and mass killers come from? i am african-american.

they say the african-american from. no one ever says it is a mental thing. when it comes to european-american like the guy from nevada, all of these mass shootings is always a mental thing. e, but what is it within the culture that has to be examined? host: thank you for the call. bill schneider is out with a new book, and the title is standoff: how america became ungovernable. he will be with us in a few minutes. sean spicer will be here at the table. he is out with a new book this summer title the briefing. we are discussing the shooting that took place in texas. one will be school shooting -- when willhne these school shootings stop? caller: i don't understand why

it is so difficult to have one point of access into the school with a metal detector. i also think there should be a zero-tolerance policy for bully ing. that triggers a lot of these marginal personalities. host: a story available on the hill. the 17-year-old suspect in friday's shooting reportedly shot and killed a classmate who turned down his repeated advances. that classmate, shana fisher, was the first person the shooter killed according to her mother. abc, the host had this to say. [video clip] >> before our guests tonight, i want to take a moment because we had another school shooting today in santa fe, texas.

10 people were killed, 10 people wounded, mostly high school kids. our leaders are sending their thoughts and prayers once again. the president said he is with the people at this tragic hour, except when it comes time to do something. he will not ever be with that. they are fearful of what will happen politically. they know the truth. they know this has gone too far. they are too cowardly to do the right thing. they care more about the sport of the nra than they do about children. they sit there with their hands in their pockets, pockets full of gun money, and they wait for the outrage to pass because it did not happen to their children. how would you feel and what would you do if these were your children that were killed today? the truth about our democracy is the people do not make laws. we both for those that do. register you can do is

to vote right now. host: that is from jimmy kimmel. this headline from the new york times, in math class, county the risk of getting shot. david is with us, democrats line. go ahead. caller: thank you very much for taking my call. i remember that putin's puppet in chief said that he alone could fix it if elected. he said it would completely stop. it hasn't. it is because of bad republican gun laws. they are all cowards. they will not go against the nra because of the money they get for their elections. control, but we need better gun laws. common sense gun laws. chief did nott in

fix it alone. i am really sorry. my thoughts go out to all the victims. host: in atlanta, georgia, good morning. caller: good morning. i agree with the lady that was speaking earlier about the metal detectors. i remember when i was in california and new york, they had metal detectors. you have to go through a long process of buzzing in, someone look at you through a camera, and then you have to sign in. that could help for people coming in. as for the students, i don't think that taking guns away is going to change anything because look at in europe, they take guns away, but they can find knives and kill people. if people are going to do something, they are going to do it. i think we should find more resources in schools for

children that are struggling and having these issues. surprise before he did what he did. obviously, he made up his mind a long time before that. maybe we could revisit the thought of having more resource officers. i don't think gun control is going to change anything because if someone has the ability or hurting, soat i am i am going to hurt someone else, nothing is going to stop them from doing it. the mental health issue definitely needs to be revisited. in atlanta, i have four people die of heroin overdoses because you could say my head hurts, and they will give you opioid's. that is something we need to revisit, maybe even stronger background checks. you can meet someone in walmart and purchase a firearm.

maybe that, but not taking them away completely because then you have the aspect of people able to protect themselves. i stay at my house by myself. if someone breaks in, i have 15 to 20 minutes for a cop to get here. what is to happen to me in those 15 to 20 minutes? there are people dying from this , but it is not the fault of a republican or democrat. it is the country coming together, being united, and let's find a resolution we both agree on. that is the only way we will solve anything. host: thank you for adding your voice to the conversation. on the issue of school shootings, when will they stop? steve fromine, virginia. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call.

here we go again. all the gun control in the world, i am not a republican, will not stop this. theink they need to ban assault rifles and metal detectors, and as far as prayers in schools, i don't want to have to pray to the ayatollah either. how about swift punishment? i know this is a little -- i am a christian, but i think it should be 90 days. these kids are punks. they need to either have a where you canon say this is what happens when you go around killing and shooting innocent people. host: thank you. matthew from virginia beach. caller: good morning. i say this is laughable.

people say the issue is guns. they say the issue is mental illness. they say the issue is with our laws. what is wrong is our country is mentally bankrupt. this other gentleman says i don't want to bow and serve the ayatollah. we used to have a public service commercial on tv, it said live your faith, and you can light the world. the answer is we all need to come together in love and in faith and in service to whatever god you want to worship. if we learn to love each other, we can live together in peace. --s kid, it doesn't matter it is not mental illness. you. thank this is from patrick who says, so you want schools to become more zones? -- war zones?

from michael, jimmy kimmel should run for office, then maybe he can make a difference. republican line, good morning. caller: good morning. this is a tragic situation. i have got in my heart. i love all people. the last thing i would want to do is point a gun at another person to harm them in any way. that is not the answer. you can take any gun off the planet, every weapon off the planet, and people will pick up rocks. the problem is not the weapon, the tool they use, the problem is the evil in their heart. that happens when they corrupt in schools without displaying or without god. they grew up to be thugs. this is why we have this problem in the world.

if i'm a criminal, i am not going to walmart to fill out the proper paperwork to go kill somebody. i'm going to go to joe's house and get it down there in the hood. the stupidity that thinking banning assault rifles is going to make a difference is not. it is only going to hurt law-abiding citizens. host: thank you. let's go to debbie, michigan, democrats line. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. funding and bullying. killed, of the kid she she said he had bullied her eight or nine months. half an hour into this program, and nobody has mentioned our bul ly in chief. he has bullied jeff bezos, the

union guy from carrier, etc. it is not president trump's job to bully american citizens. that is unacceptable to me. in regard to the funding, no one wants to connect all these charter school setting money out of public school education, and that is why they cannot afford metal detectors and guards because betsy devos and these military people want to privatize education. sucking all the funds out of public schools. host: let's go to west virginia. good morning. caller: good morning. i am an older lady. actually, i am 85. i remember when i was growing up, we had smaller schools where the educators knew the student better, and they knew the

families and could communicate any problems. recently, and i think, largest schools i understand because of cost of building, but recently in southern west virginia, a c firm has placed social workers and some psychiatrists, one psychiatrist, in at least five to six schools where the students, if they are having problems, can approach these qualified people, which will help them talk out any problems. not a, law enforcement is solution. i think it is the communication with a social worker and the students being able to talk to

somebody if they cannot talk to their families. i read in an elementary school where we have to be buzzed in to forschool and sign in anything that we do. i think that not knowing the students, and the teachers and educators are overwhelmed with them to it is hard for observe any abnormal activities. caller: thank you very much -- host: thank you very much for the call. thank you for all of your calls and comments. formerup, sean spicer, white house press secretary, is out with a new book this summer. later, former cnn political analyst bill schneider, his new book titled standoff. newsmakers follows "washington

journal." our guest this week is adam schiff of california. here is that line of questioning. [video clip] >> it looked for the last several weeks as if president trump and kim jong-un were on a track to have a nice summit meeting in early june in singapore, and then suddenly this week the north koreans started to make unfriendly noises about it, saying if this conversation is only about getting rid of our nuclear program, we are not so interested. what you think the north koreans have turned around on this -- why do you think the north koreans have turned around on this? >> it is not surprising that we see this tactic of the north koreans. it would be surprising if things went smoothly. it would be surprising if the north koreans were suddenly ready to come hat in hand and

give up their nuclear program. this is their tradition. they go through broad periods of competition followed by short periods of conciliation. they will use various strategies to seek to improve their leverage of the bargaining table, divide the alliance against them, so we need to fully expected. president was going into this with some expectation that he had won over kim jong-un with saber rallying, that was naive. one thing that is going to be essential is going to have to be a strong verification regime. i think this will go forward. what worries me is our president seems so desperate now for an agreement having walked out of

the iran agreement and having pledged so much and built up an expectation that things are going to be different. he has this great relationship now with kim jong-un. kim jong-un may now have concluded that the president needs this now more than he does. is too eager to get a deal now on north korea? >> i think that is a real risk. host: congressman adam schiff, democrat of california, the ranking member on the house intelligence committee. you can listen to newsmakers on the free c-span radio app for following this program. sean spicer, welcome back to c-span. guest: it is good to be back. i looked around and realized i don't have a new c-span cup. they change every couple of years. host: let me begin with some

news this week. the summit meeting, will that happen between the president and north korean leader? guest: i think it will. but who knows? it is good for our country. it is good for the world. you don't know what kim jong-un's motives are. is he trying to do another so people have a better image of him and give him some economic relief, or does he really wants of the? deal?e exercisesmilitary take place, which the north korean leader knew was going to happen, and they use that as an excuse to stop talks with the south. guest: that is what really gave me pause. they were almost fishing for an excuse. there was this honeymoon that looked great. they met at the dmz.

they were looking to denuclearize and open up economic trade. gotten whatkim has he wants, which is to be recognized on the world stage as a legitimate power, and then he walks away from the deal. we will see if these talks go forward. i think at the end of the day, kim recognizes that in order for his country and for him to go forward, he needs a deal like this. host: how does the president prepare for this type of meeting? guest: the way he prepares for a lot of things, over time he goes back and forth with aides and reads independently and is back and forth with aides. host: what is your biggest fear? guest: my biggest fear is that kim is not serious and he just wants the recognition of the leader of the free world and then walks away.

i think we cannot give him the credibility of being seen as a world leader without getting some concessions. i think the hostages being returned was a good first step. if he wants the economic relief and trade that goes with that, then he needs to denuclearize. with regard to iran and the u.s. pulling out of the iran or guilt, the head of the european council said, with friends like this, who needs enemies? trumpritical of donald pulling out of the iran nuclear deal. how does the president react to something like that? guest: i don't think he cares. he ran on a pretty clear agenda of putting america first, and getting out of bed deals. anyone shocked by this -- bad deals. anyone shocked by this needs to get out from under a rock. anyone that found this new and

surprising, that is interesting. i don't think the president cares what other people outside this country think of him. his administration is dedicated to advancing american interests. host: we are getting a speech tomorrow from mike pompeo, plan b on iran, what can we expect? guest: i think you will see additional sanctions, talking about how to isolate iran, how that the deal was. what iran was going to do ultimately in terms of its nuclear thing, and talk about how the u.s. is going to isolate them and sanction them to achieve a better outcome. host: in terms of domestic issues, how long did you spend on capitol hill working for house members? to washington in

1993, and i left to work for the u.s. trade representative under george w. bush in 2006. member orin a committee, and in the off year, campaign, or i a worked at all the various federal committees, the national republican congressional committee, and over those 20 years, i think i have 11 years in federal service. host: i ask because of the farm bill that went down on friday. how significant is that? guest: i don't think it looks good because you never want a bill to go down. i have always believed that sometimes that tough love, those discussions that need to happen need to happen. that to gobill like down that has a lot of reforms in it, that is good for

conservatives, trying to maximize the impact of the farm bill trying to put a better deal in place, for the sake of immigration, you have to juxtapose the ultimate goal. sometimes the greater discussion is at hand of what we're trying to achieve needs to happen. while it is not good in the short run, it serves us better because it forces a discussion. host: there are two factions within the gop, and so far there are 20 moderate republicans who want to push together a discharge petition, which would force a more moderate immigration bill. democrats would go on board with this. how likely do you think it is that could happen? guest: i think ultimately you will get a series of votes. i think speaker ryan and mccarthy realize they would rather play the game on their terms that have a discharge

petition. at the end of the day, i don't see the time in the legislative calendar for the senate to act. are you actually, pushing something? -- accomplish and something? accomplishing something? are you forcing out an issue that you don't want to be campaigning on? host: you spent some time at the rnc. looking ahead at the races, what is your prediction? house,we keep the probably lose a few seats, but i feel better every day about where the house is. you are seeing a lot less excitement on the democratic side. they are very captive by the far left of their party. they are seeing more and more easier to make it

campaign against someone that far to the left. president trump's approval rating continues to rise. at the end of the day, elections are always about how people feel. do they feel secure economically? we are seeing the economy tick up, and the fight against isis continues to go well. people will ultimately want to keep us on the field. in the senate, i feel very good. we have a one seat majority. i would not be surprised to see us actually pick up seats. that is mostly because we have a tilted playing field. you have a much greater degree of democrats that are up for reelection this cycle. in july. book is out what is it about? guest: it is about several things. it is my story. when i came out of the white house, i was not fully committed to writing a book.

around lot of speeches the world. people asked the same questions over and over again. i thought to myself, if i am going to set the record straight about who i am and how i felt about certain things, then it was incumbent upon me to write the book and tell people how did i get here. i talk about how i got to washington, my early years, and then my career progression and the experiences of the campaign. host: what did you learn about yourself writing the book? guest: that is a great question. it is cathartic and therapeutic in a lot of ways. he gives you an opportunity to reflect on who you are as a person. why you may certain decisions, differently,e them were you the best person you could be at the time? i talk a lot about my faith in the book, which is something i

don't generally speak about publicly. how i reflected on certain moments and whether i could have been a better person or handle certain things better. host: let me put one moment on the table, jr 21st 2017 -- january 21, 2017. how did that all come out? host: it is in detail in the book. i don't want to give too much away. we had a very historic january 20. the president gave a speech where he laid out his vision for america first. he wakes up on january 21, our first full day in office, and there is much discussion going on about the crowd size and inauguration. i think the president felt, as , that wasny of us really a sad commentary about what happened. you had this historic election, and the president coming in with

a bold agenda to change the trajectory of the country, and yet we're talking about how many people are on the mall or not. long story short, we try to put together a statement and briefing where we talked about how petty that was. host: the one thing you talked about afterwards was the suit you are wearing. guest: i mentioned that. thank you for replying that. i talk about that in the briefing. that one press conference cost me a few thousand dollars on the government salary because you recognize those small things matter in a way they had not in the past. i have been on television multiple times but had never had that level of critique. you realize how all of those things, the level of intensity and interest in every aspect of that job. host: let's get to your phone calls. republican line, robert from illinois. good morning. caller: good morning.

thank you. good morning, shot. i look forward to buying your book. with all due respect to jimmy kimmel, even his writers could not have come up with this terrific kid getting this gun from his dad's gun locker. for seven years, president obama did nothing to prevent the russian hack into the election. they are bombarding our president with blame. he got in there by a fluke, i'm glad for it. every time a liberal asks a conservative about president trump interfering, they should say obama did nothing for seven years and nine months. thank you. this in the into

book, but we were briefed on that. the obama administration's department of homeland security asked me to come in to talk about what they were seeing and made it very clear they had this under control. i agree with robert. the past administration knew what was going on and for whatever reason did not make it a big enough deal. if they had made it a big deal, there would be a lot of people saying they were trying to tilt the election. i'm not saying it was not a tough decision, but robert was right. they knew things were happening. they were confident they had everything under control. i don't see any evidence to this day that there is anything that changed the outcome of the election. i think all of us need to do everything we can to make sure the integrity of our elections is sound. i think our election officials need to do the same. wilkes-barre, west

virginia, democrats line. caller: good morning. give me an opportunity to make my comments. thespicer, you and trump is lyingest people i have ever seen. this administration lies every day to the american people. anotherever vote for republican again. my salary has not increased. nothing has changed since i was working during the obama administration. i pay more in gas prices. nothing has changed in my life, but you, the president, and his family are the biggest criminals ever. guest: i respectfully disagree. i wish you the best. i hope things to get better in your life. ways thisgue in many

country is a better place both economically and security wise. i wish you the best, and i hope you like does get better. host: from north carolina, charles on the republican line. caller: good morning. how the media treated josh earnest and gibbs ence, and thenver i look at your experience and see the hostility with sarah today. we talk about fake news, but at the least it is extremely slanted news. it comes from a viewpoint that seems to be in a herd. like theit seems thestream media may be hire same type of people that went to the same type of schools with a

limited viewpoint. when you have major news anchors like anderson cooper and dominant and rachel maddow -- emon and rachel maddow who live in alternative lifestyle live with a different lens that say my company. host: thank you. guest: i have been very careful l not think the media writ arge with the same brush. there are some very good reporters not just in the briefing room in the white house that are doing good stories. there are some that come every day with an agenda. there are some that actually have an agenda and some that don't acknowledge the agenda. taints howackground you view the world, when you grow up in one particular way,

you see things. good journalists try to overcome those inherent biases and say i need to listen and learn more. as a conservative, i have seen this my entire career on a variety of issues. at the house budget committee, there were people who viewed everything we did in this negative light about cutting and burning. there were a lot of times when we would reform program because we thought it would serve people better it is without the private sector or charitable organizations did a better job than a bloated bureaucracy. that doesn't mean we care about people less. a lot of journalists talk about cutting and slashing because of where they came from. i think there is a difference. i don't think that people come to congress or public service to hurt people. people. to help you look at it in different

ways. liberals believe government is always the solution. i disagree with that. i don't think they are trying to hurt people. i don't think conservatives are trying to hurt people. we believe public service and helped office is a way to our country and the entire world live a better way. nobody is coming at this to hurt people. spicer,r guest is sean former white house press secretary. we welcome our viewers on the bbc parliament channel as well 124 on siriusel xm. overarching of my fears about the trunmp era is that he will drag the rest of the country including the media down to his level.

there's little in love more than to invalidate us, because then he could sell whatever alternative facts and ornate fantasies that he chose to. itst: i agree with part of and disagree with part of it. i think to the extent that journalists need to recognize in this age of social media that rushing to the first and then undermines their credibility. the same first amendment that gives every journalist the right what theyto write want and publish what they want gives every american the right to criticize that piece. i want strong, robust journalists that pushback, investigate, seek the truth. in some instances, you see that intended, the pun

idea of being right. it is better to be right than to be first. what we see on twitter and facebook is that journalists would rather be the first one through the gate that the right one. host: do you miss the job? guest: no. not a day. it, andn honor to have i would do it all over again, but it was the right time to leave for me and the administration. host: we will go to alan. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for the opportunity to speak to both of you. i disagree with the statement that president trump does not care about what non-americans think about him or his policies. if you would allow me, i have four very quick points to prove that. when it comes to israel and

netanyahu, mr. trump apparently care so much about what he says that he said american middle east policy will be whatever mr. netanyahu wants or the israelis want. when it came to the chinese phone company that was sanctioned by the u.s., the chinese are bankrolling a trump indonesia, he immediately jumped into say that company. when it came to the saudi's and the money, he demonstrated very clearly he cares with the saudis think. he ist comes to putin, very quick to jump in and protect him from sanctions. mr. spicer, with all due respect to you and the president, you are not as big as your rhetoric. guest: i am only five foot six inches. i am not that big.

i would respectfully disagree. i think the president has clearly shown his commitment to making a better place for all of our citizens. he ran on a promise of america first. i think he is delivering on it. piece by john dickerson of cbs, how the president became possible. -- the presidency became impossible. he made ispoints that george washington would not recognize the modern presidency. guest: i think that is true in the sense of how big our government has grown. that makes the case for why we need a smaller central government and get back to the roots of our country, which is pushing a lot more of these decisions on the states. government has grown too big and unwieldy and is not serving the best interests of the american people. host: john dickerson says the buck stops here is not meant to

mean theresent -- president is responsible for everything that happens in the executive branch. guest: when you look at the size and scope of what this government is doing now, you literally cannot have one person by virtue of just time know everything that is happening and all the decisions that are being made at the various agencies and departments. i would argue the government has done way too big. you saw the flow of information that went through the white house. what changes if any need to be made? guest: you see through the gore, mick al mulvaney, we need to have almost a separate group of people that are specifically looking department by department. we don't have any incentives for downsizing

government. the incentive is for growing government. when you have a department in this government that cannot pass a clean audit, that says something. that tells you how big we have become. at some point we need to get down to brass tacks and recognize that there needs to be some look at what government does, where we are serving the american people, and where we are not. the problem is that it is power. there are groups of people in this town that want to make sure every agency and job is filled because that allows them to make money or get a contract. that is part of a bigger problem. host: in terms of the daily briefing, is that still relevant? guest: no. i think the press office should be available as they are to give ,he press responses and updates

but i think the daily briefing is worth re-examining. the department of defense and others don't always have a daily briefing on camera. i think the morning gaggle and selected days or you do on camera is worth it. the breathing has become more of a show than an outlet of information for the media. we should provide daily answers to questions the media has and updates that are ongoing. the time it takes to get everything going and what you get in return is not worth it anymore. host: i suspect that is part of the new book as well. guest: it is. host: let's go back to your phone calls. steve in connecticut. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my phone call. i have to disagree. i think the daily briefing can provide hope to the world.

i am calling about social media. facebook just surpassed or is closing in on 2 billion users. followers than people in the muslim religion. i am still trying to wrap my head around the power of social media. host: what about you? guest: i agree. it is extremely powerful as a tool. it has done a lot to give people a voice who did not have one before. natural disasters, allowing people to stay in touch, reaching out to people in times of need. there is a huge utility for it. the problem is that it allows and people to say and act in a way that they would never do to someone's face. of, it hasis sort

pros and cons. at the end of the day, all of these things come back to us as people. how do we act on a social media platform? my hope is that people will re-examine how they behave and think and express themselves. host: when the president would send out a tweet, did he ever check with you first or did he do it on his own? guest: once in a while he would tell you he was going to do it. i think percentagewise it was 90% him doing what he wanted to you,d 10% of him telling this is what i'm thinking about doing or here is what i crafted. -- privatee credit donald trump different from the public? guest: the only difference i would suggest, there is many instances in which i have seen him be caring, empathetic, and concerned, that i wish would get out more.

he cares deeply about people, especially in times of tragedy. i wish people got to see that more. that is the only difference. generally seen, -- generally speaking, what you get in public is what you get in private. host: joining us from california. caller: my question is for secretary spicer. do you think more people will be charged in the special counsel investigation? do you foresee any changes in the current cabinet that mr. trump might nominate someone else for different cabinet posts later on in his administration? host: we will get a response. guest: those are two good questions. on the first one, i have no idea. obviously, robert mueller tends do not have a lot of leaks coming out of that office and i do not know what they have going on.

i would not presuppose to guess. the odds are good that either somebody in the cabinet chooses to step aside or the president as someone new -- adds someone new. last for morenot than a couple years, generally speaking. especially when you have gotten a disruptor as president, he will not sit back if someone is not performing. host: from collierville, tennessee, vivian, you are next. caller: good morning, mr. spicer. i would like to know -- and please, i am looking directly at you -- the president, when you get out there and have a report, talking in meetings, the president comes back and you said.s what he will be calling you a liar like he does to his other representatives. why don't that man speak the truth? our children are looking up to him. why is he trying to stop this

investigation? anybody knows it is just like during the next an era. era.xon he wants to get rid of rosenstein and mueller, everybody knows that as a sign of being guilty. i am not a lawyer and even i know this. guest: i think the president has made clear he does not believe there was any collusion in the election, and i think the more that there is focused on this after so many people have looked at this over 16, 17 months and said there is nothing there, he feels it is a distraction from the agenda he is setting out, and he has made his position clear. i'm trying to remember the first part. host: she basically said he is bringing down the presidency by the way he lives. -- lies. guest: i respectfully disagree. my job was to give the best

information at the time, but you are speaking on behalf of somebody so if they evolved in their thinking or change their mind, you give an update. the job of the press secretary is not to be the arbiter of what they want to think. in lieu of them being able to come out or make themselves available, here is the thinking that exists. host: one that would happen, did you meet with the president in the morning? guest: i would generally go in and see him or talk to him in some way, either on the phone or in person, before the briefing, and saying these are the issues i am getting asked most about. is there anything you want me to update on? is this consistent with what you wanted to say? the thing that is interesting is the job of the briefing of the press secretary is to provide the best information you can. you try to prepare and say, what are the questions coming in today, what are the issues of today, what have people been asking? more times than not, the idea of

trying to figure out, can we trip you up, can we get you? you are trying your best to get the best information you can, but you will not know every single question or position the president may have, especially on a hot topic of the day. host: sarah sanders, how is she doing? guest: she is doing great. she is a very smart woman, she is dynamic, she is tough, and i think the president appreciates the job she is doing. host: this is a headline from the new york times. let me just read to you what they are reporting this morning, the president accusing the fbi on friday without evidence of sending a spy to secretly infiltrate his campaign for political purposes, even before the bureau had any inkling of the phony russia hoax. informant tont an talk to two campaign advisers only after they received evidence that the pair had

suspicious activity linked to russia during the campaign. made contact late in the summer with one campaign advisor george papadopoulos and later carter page. guest: i do not know the entirety of what is going on, but there has been a lot of concern about what has happened. texting back and forth about their personal beliefs and dislike for the president, and i think the president is concerned when he sees reports of activity that may be inappropriate. i will leave it to the white house to delve further into that. i do not have to do that anymore , but i know there is a lot of concern about what had happened prior to the election. some bad apples displaying their public beliefs and how they were doing their job. from greg is joining us miaon is, pennsylvania -- pronouncing that correctly?

caller: yes. host: it is right -- where is that? caller: right in the middle. host: go ahead, sir. caller: i am directing my comment to the funding and exorbitant amounts of money spent on the election, this previous one especially. fcc f via thein -- viafunction and the sec extreme amounts of money spent on advertising and paid to executives, and all of this money coming together at the top , they arer less electing our officials as opposed to the people. i am curious to know if you feel irshough the laxity in the and ftc contributed to the

election in 2016. and what your feelings are, thank you. host: you are talking specifically about citizens united in 2010? caller: i am not sure you'd i think -- i am not sure. i think that is the source of some of the information. guest: in 2008, up until 2008, candidates, when you pay your taxes you could check often have three dollars voted -- given to the presidential funding. the ftc would, if federal candidates agreed to take a lump sum of money, they would then forgo raising money for their particular campaign. president obama, when he was a candidate, flip-flopped and decided not to do that. that was pretty much the end of federal funding for election sent out everybody raises it on both sides. as far as the irs and ftc goes,

that is fact. on the citizens united decision, it just codifies what i have always believed, that americans have a right to participate fully in our democracy. labor unions have been doing it for years. the ability for us, for people to fully participate and advertise and collectively raise money and put ads is a healthy part of our democracy. host: our last call is from williamsburg, virginia, randy, good morning. caller: good morning, and thank god for president trump. talking about small business solving the problems, and with health, education, and safety, 20 years ago i was injured in an industrial accident. that is when i found out how unprepared the american workforce was to recover from injury and return to work. i came up with this idea and built a mobile fitness facility

that has now worked for the last 15 years, in and out of school, on the block, wherever children gather, and wherever we want to help an education message. my business is called virginians for education. i'm a presidential fitness partner and i won the 2007 community health leadership award. would you please pass on to president trump that small businesses like mine have very little access to the public funds, whether it be 21st century or block grants, to improve health of children in public housing, and send a healthy message and change the environment that challenges them every day? guest: will do. thank you for the work you are doing, randy. congratulations on figuring out how to make the best of that situation. it sounds like you are doing a great job and i hope your business continues to prosper. congratulations on the award. it is that kind of ingenuity

that american people have that we need to help encourage and support, so whether it is veterans coming back from war or those who were injured, that we find ways for them to participate in the workforce. we also support small businesses like randy, through making sure that regulation does not stifle them and taxes do not kill him. it is great he is figuring out to run a business and use american ingenuity to do something that serves a great cause. we need to support policies and regulations that do that. as far as access to capital, but more so what the president has really done is taken down the regulatory state and allowed businesses to flourish, do so in a way that protects workers but does not stifle the growth of business. host: two final points. this is a headline from axioms.com. white house leakers leak about leaking. this is white house leak more than past presidents?

guest: probably. host: you have got more platforms now delayed to or to get things out to as the media landscape grows. i think part of it is because he is not a politician. when you look at clinton, a , theyor, obama, senator kind of had these teams to come into the white house with them that are cohesive and worked together before. president trump is a disruptor and was not involved in politics prior to this election, so you are bringing this disparate group of folks into the white house. it is a shame what is happening, it is wrong and disgusting. regardless of which party you are in, to work at the white house is an honor and privilege to serve the american people. to turn around and leak information on another staffer or policy to undermine the president's agenda or his team, or distract from it, is wrong. it is un-american.

i hope the team finds out who is doing this and publicly flog them, because this is a disgrace. the people who serve our country by and large go to work every day to serve this country. they are good, hard-working people. those people who leak information on another person, policy, or classified information, should be taken out. host: is that because there are some in the white house that are not loyal to the president? guest: the motives for leaking have always been interesting to me. some people do it for attention, some people do it for power to curry favor with journalists, some people do it to undermine another person. at the end of the day, it undermines the president's agenda and is a level of disloyalty to him. why they do it and what they believe in is one thing. the results of it is that. host: what is next for you? guest: i have the book coming

out, july 24. i have got -- it is available on preorder at amazon and barnes & noble now. i have been traveling the world speaking to organizations. we have a small consulting firm advising ceos, and having a lot of fun. host: sean spicer. people can follow you on twitter at? guest: sean spicer. host: coming up, we will open our phone lines. tell us what is on your mind. later, l schneider will be joining us -- bill schneider will be joining us to discuss his book. our c-span cities tour's continue on c-span twos booktv and american history tv, and we , alabama toselma feature the history and literary life, including the national park service. sharing on bloody

sunday in selma, alabama. >> the marchers wanted to do something in honor of jackson, and taking his body all the way to the alabama state capital and laying it on the front steps was the right thing to do. instead of taking his body all the way to montgomery, they decided to continue with the idea to march to montgomery. 1965, protesters left brown chapel ame church in the afternoon and progressed , to writema avenue out here on broad street to cross the independence bridge. they crested the top of the bridge here. those who led the march saw a sea of blue, made of alabama state troopers and shares deputies, citizens that were deputized by the local sheriff. when they crested the top of the bridge, they did feel a twinge of fear, but even though they

were a little bit scared, they continued to put one foot in front of the other and marched about 100 yards past the edge of the bridge before they were stopped by major john cloud, who was over the alabama state troopers. as the marchers approached him, he said to them, this is an unlawful assembly and you have two minutes to disperse, turn around and go back to your churches or homes. --n lewis said, maybe had may we have a word with the major? the major said, there is no were to be had and about 30 seconds later he made -- gave the order for the troopers to advance. the melee that ensued is what we now know as bloody sunday. selma, alabama this weekend on c-span twos booktv and c-span3's american history tv. you can follow all of our stops along the cities to her at c-span -- tour at c-span.org.

our phones are open. (202) 748-8000 is the line for democrats. (202) 748-8001 four republicans -- for republicans. mike is joining us from new york city on the democrats line, good morning. caller: how are you? host: fine, thank you. caller: sean spicer just said certain things about disgraceful things that are happening with weeks and tweets -- leaks. house led by supposedly mr. trump, is the biggest disgrace that we have ever seen. i am 63 years old. i have never in my life, other than when i was seven years old and worried about the cuban missile crisis, i have never in my life worried about who is on

top and who is leaving us, with moral and ethics. this white house is a disgrace to this nation. i would like to know how sean spicer -- i am listening to him now and hearing the way he speaks -- after listening to his bs on the podium just makes me sick as an american. host: chad is joining us from clearfield, pennsylvania, republican line. what is on your mind? we will try it one more time. good morning, where are you phoning from? hello? we will try barbara in north palm beach, florida. caller: good morning. i am calling regarding the school shootings and so forth and so on. ,obody seems to be addressing parents need to be first in raising their children. nobody seems to be addressing

what the media and hollywood promotes. what are they promoting in movies, songs, and videos? it is all violence. you do not see anything other than violence, so why isn't somebody addressing that? these kids are watching all of that over and over again, and they become insensitive. host: a little bit of feedback because the volume was not down. this is the headline from "time magazine." the 22nd school shooting this year. from milwaukee, the democrats line, joanne. good morning. caller: good morning. hello? host: go ahead. caller: i do not think anything will get done as far as the shootings. nobody is doing anything. we saw all these kids doing so much and congress did nothing. if you want to call the president the president, i do

not call him that. donald trump, he just does what he wants. he thinks that we work for him. we don't. he is supposed to be working for us. he never worked for anyone in his life. i am sorry, i have a problem with that. we don't work for him but he seems to think that. that is my comment. host: thank you for the call. schools, how can we stop shootings? the secret service has some ideas and there is a report that secret service.gov. you can look at some of the advice put into place and that was issued 12 years ago. frank is joining us from el paso, texas, the independent line. caller: good morning, sir. thanks for having me on and thanks for c-span.

i deeply appreciate it. i saw mr. spicer moment ago and i was just wondering, i wanted to ask him why the press corps has assigned seating in the press meetings. it seems like the same group of people always are at the front of the interviews. i would like to see some people from other countries, other agencies being upfront. i think it would be nice to put some of the people, in other words, we will take the front seating -- host: i can answer the question for you, if you want. here is the answer. the seating is assigned by the white house correspondents association. you have the two wires and five networks in the front row. the second row is that

washington post, the new york times, the washington times. it is assigned seating for the people who cover the white house on a daily basis, and there is some open seating in the back. sean spicer often had people outside of washington asking questions from local media. caller: thank you very much. and i still on the air? host: you sure are. caller: just one other little thing. i and 74 years old. -- m 74 years old. -- i am 74 years old. i will probably not call again. host: why? caller: i am not in good health. the criticism of the president is fine, and i'm an independent and i voted for obama and everybody else. is,the fact of the matter when people call for resistance to an authorized government, as

bill clinton did, that is a crime. people have not been told this. that is called sedition. when any news agency or anyone else calls for the overthrow of a legitimately elected government, it is -- it falls under the sedition act. it was used by president adams and several presidents in the past. i am not trying to cut off anybody from criticizing the president, just certainly obama had his critics. short is when they call for the actual overthrow of the government. thank you, c-span. host: thank you. i hope you call back again, and good luck to you. caller: thank you, sir. host: this is from "the washington post," i was not one

that surprised that it happened. shock of her shootings has turned to numbness. ince 13 people were killed the massacre at columbine high school in 1990, more than 214,000 students have been exposed to school shootings at 216 schools nationwide. this year alone, there have been 16 school shootings with 29 people dead. read more details at washington post.com. open phones for this sunday, rob is joining us, hyattsville, maryland, democrat line. caller: how are you doing? host: good. what is on your mind? caller: i wanted to find out now, all of the shooting going on in schools, what about if it the cabinet that gets killed or something like that.

i know it will be a different change. sense. not make no you are spending all this money to build a wall but you cannot protect our kids in school. host: maria and washington, d.c., good morning. caller: good morning. i just have a question. how does sensible gun control like an enhanced background eligibility assessment of who should have a gun, how does that affect responsible gun owners? if they will end up getting their gun anyway if they qualify. this is not happening only a schools. it is concerts, theaters, churches. be the detector will not solution, or just addressing

parenting, we want to address everything. ,hat is causing this directly gun laws may not prevent crime but they create a culture around what potential criminals would face as a consequence or not. i guess that is my comment. we are ready to again do roundtables, more conversations, more talks, on things that have already been discussed before. every time something like this happens, we say, let's have more conversation. have more roundtables with members of the family and communities. after shooting after shooting, when will it be time to actually do something meaningful? it takes a meaningful action, instead of just getting more talking points out.

how would more sensible gun control affect responsible gun owners? who would pass those anyway? host: this is from "the new york times," the president laments the texas school shooting and thousand action. -- vows action. from washington state, good morning. caller: i was wondering if you might be able to pull out of the archives the bernie sanders interview, the last thursday of february and the first february of march when he came to the microphone and told us about the meeting with the social security administration. dying last year waiting for their paperwork to be processed, it was due to, according to senator sanders, understaffing. if congress is going to

underfund the same agency this year, well lit double the amount of americans that will die waiting to get help from this administration? -- will it double the amount of americans that will die waiting to get help from this administration? it brings back sarah palin's death panels from the affordable care act debate. it is underreported. i think it is a very important thing that people be aware of. host: thank you. we should point out that speech and all of our coverage is available on our website at c-span.org. tomorrow, we will hear from the new secretary of state mike pompeo who is delivering a speech at the heritage foundation in washington, d.c., to talk about what politico is saying plan b for a run. -- iran. you can read the story, this is

a headline at politico.com. anthony, republican line from edison, new jersey. good morning. caller: good morning. i would rather have a president that wants to make america great again than a former disaster --t gives tiles of cash piles of cash to a terrorist sponsor state of iran. we will put that aside. there is nothing wrong about america being great again. , theredo not like that is 150 or 160 other countries you can live in. america will never be communist. if you want to be communist, go live in other communist countries. cap great is working all around the world. as far as the gun thing, i see a common denominator right around a transition time the kids go from grammar school into high school, fueled by a lot of

hollywood, videos violence, p a pressure, hormonal -- here pressure -- peer pressure, hormonal changes, maybe we need to do an evaluation of kids when they transition into high school and see where they are mentally and physically, and how they are making the adjustments. so later on it does not come back to bite us in detail -- in the tail. inbe they were outsiders school and maybe they were misdiagnosed and need some sort of medication. host: it's all of you, your calls and comments. "howook's subtitle is america became ungovernable." bill schneider is here at the table to take your calls and look at the modern presidency, and changes over the last 50 and 60 years. we for collins will be joining us next as we take a look at --

-- as we take a look at this some -- summit between donald trump and kim jong-un. ♪ >> tonight on q and a, university of virginia history professor william hitchcock on his book, "the age of eisenhower." >> i call it the disciplined presidency. eisenhower, in the way he carried himself and the manned he was -- man he was, he was a disciplined man and a great athlete when he was young. an organized man, very methodical, and that is how he

ran the white house. he was extremely organized. a lot of people, including the future president john f. kennedy criticized eisenhower's dodging us and being so predictable. for him, it meant when crises gain, he had a plan. worthless but planning is everything, he used to say. you are always thinking, what is over the hill, what crisis might erupt? he was systematic and the way he governed. he met the press every week, that congressional leaders every week. he chaired the national security council every week. he had his thumb on government. he trusted the process and believed the federal government could work well if it was well led. 8:00 p.m. tonight at on c-span. >> "washington journal" continues. host: we welcome back bill

schneider. the book is entitled "standoff." what is the premise? guest: we have a president who governs by dividing america. that is how he got elected and how he governs. we have a constitutional system that enables his opponents to block things the president wants to do. when you put those together, you get gridlock. host: you write the following -- "on november 8, 2016, american voters did an astonishing thing. they elected a president of the united states who most voters did not think was qualified to serve as president," and then you posed these questions -- how did that happen and how did we get from john f. kennedy to donald j. trump? guest: or from camelot to "name "game ofs." -- thrones."

interests which dominate politics are always there and divisions of interests have given way to divisions of values. the split between business and labor that dominated in the 1930's, they can be negotiated and compromised. the business of values, matters of right and wrong, those things cannot be negotiated or compromised. they produce an impasse. host: you wrote in the book that during the lead up to the 2000 campaign, that was one election you really did not know who the winner was going to be. guest: that is right. host: what about 2016? guest: 2016, we knew who the winner was going to be. we were just wrong. everyone assumed it was hillary clinton and all of a sudden here comes donald trump who wins the electoral college. it was a remarkable election. donald trump lost california by over 4 million votes. he won the closely contested states by just a very tiny

margin. it does not matter how big your margin is if you win by even one vote. 's you have all the state elect -- you have all the state's electoral votes. he knew how to work the system, maybe with a little help from the russians. host: does he run for reelection? guest: yes, because he never gives in or gives up. he has are refiled as a candidate for reelection. host: "the trunk movement is the latest manifestation of .esistance by the old america the gradual and halting rise of the new america faced resistance every set -- step of the way. it is a standoff. the potential for gridlock is built into the u.s. constitution." guest: they did not want a strong government. they associated strong government with tierney. theyonstitution -- associated strong government with tierney. -- tyrrany.

hard to gett is things done in our system of government. president is not all that powerful. as president trump is discovering, he is facing issues from the court, by the states. california is challenging the president on dreamers, challenging him on sanctuary cities. the states are divided over this. congress, it is a republican congress. they will not give him the money to fund the border wall. there are all of these blockages built into the system and it was designed not to work very well, but you know what? it does work. what is required for it to work is a crisis. like after 9/11, after the financial crisis, then things can get done. host: who do you think, which president really shaped the modern presidency? guest: franklin roosevelt.

he brought more power to the presidency in washington. conservatives and republicans feel he destroyed our system of government by making it too big and expensive. you said shaped the modern presidency, that would be franklin roosevelt. party has republican become the party of angry white they angry about, political correctness? see politicalmen correctness as a way of shutting them out, president obama became the symbol of political correctness." guest: this constituency, working-class white men, feel disrespected, and in many ways they are. diversity does not include them and inclusion does not mean anything for them. they see the rise of the minority groups, working women, the need to movement -- metoo

movement. this movement, this backlash started to emerge in the 1960's at the same time the new america became evident. groups that were marginalized suddenly found their voice, educated professionals, african-americans, immigrants, gays. in the 1960's, there was a ferocious backlash against that movement on the right. it started with barry goldwater and george wallace and richard nixon and ronald reagan. .here was a fierce backlash the changes of the 1960's happened all over the western world, but the united states more than any country they stay ferocious and lasting backlash. host: our guest is bill schneider. you spent how many years at cnn? guest: 18 and a half. host: if you look at the democratic and republican party

and civil war maybe too strong a term, but there is some real infighting within the democratic party and in the republican party. how will that play out in 2018? guest: first of all, there is nothing new about that. there has always been in fighting. in the 1960's you had right wing democrats revolting against the party establishment and left-wing democrats revolting against the party establishment. there was a revolt of the vietnam war. host: it is not more intense now? guest: not more than then. remember reading about the chicago convention in 19 88? there was blood on the streets -- 1968. there was blood on the streets. these divisions are inherent in our party system. host: on the republican side, we saw what happened with the farm bill and many are saying speaker ryan is a lame-duck.

we have some divisions on immigration and the republican party, and the republicans with a relatively narrow number in the house and a closer number in the u.s. senate, to retain majority. guest: you have got to remember something about american politics. we have a system of independent entrepreneurs. every person in congress is in business for himself or herself. they are interested in their own careers and advancement. the party can be helpful or hurtful. they do not necessarily fall in line behind a single party leader, even if it is the president. host: on the democratic side of the aisle, you have -- guest: progressives. host: progressives, led by bernie sanders, and the more moderate clinton wing. where does that leave democrats? guest: united by one thing -- donald trump. they all hate donald trump and they need to stop donald trump.

that is what unites the party. host: do they have a message? guest: stop donald trump. host: is that enough to get democrats to the polls? guest: this year, yes. be difficultill because they will have to get a candidate. 2018 will be a referendum on donald trump. host: what will happen this year? guest: the democrats have a good chance -- nothing is certain in politics. we do not know what will happen with north korea, the economy is steaming long desk along, but -- along, but the democrats could take control of the house. it will be more difficult to take control of the senate. they may very well be trying to impeach him. host: should leader pelosi stepped down or should she remain and serve as speaker? guest: that is up to the house democrats if they are satisfied

and they win a single victory, she will stay in. if they do disappointingly this year, she will be pressured to step down like newt gingrich in 1998 when the republicans did badly in the midterms and gingrich resigned. she might want to step down. host: "public opinion remains a controlling factor in american politics. a system of limited government is particularly important when the country has a president with the temperament of a megalomaniac." guest: i think mr. trump has the temperament of a mega-maniac. i watched carefully -- megalomaniac. i watched carefully the cabinet meeting in 2017 when everyone was called on to say something wonderful about the president, and then he said something about himself. it was kind of like north korea. that was to me the clear sign of a megalomaniac. host: we have that video, which

we will show in a moment, but first, debbie is joining us from wilson, north carolina, democrat line. caller: thank you for engaging with the callers. that is rare. thank you. mr. schneider, good morning and thank you for your book. have not read it. i think you are right. we have got a president that is -- is notthat has not really taking a look at the people. he is out for self and the party is out for self. where do we move forward? people in america need to stick to what israel and please -- is real, and please engage, follow their hearts. you treat people the way you want to be treated. we are all brothers and sisters in christ, and i just needed to say that.

i hope we as a nation to get back to loving one another. one more comment -- wide inch you care -- why didn't you air the wedding yesterday? host: she hung up. do you want to respond? guest: that is what everyone wishes for but remember, this country is bitterly divided. a student and a class raised his hand and said, is this the most divided we have ever been as a country? he said, we did have a civil war. three quarters of a million of americans died. that was a terrible experience. we are nowhere close to that now , but this is the most divided we have been since the civil war. what it will take to unite us is some sort of overwhelming national crisis. in a crisis, we function very well. we did that in the depression, 9/11, the financial crisis. give us a crisis and our government works well. without a crisis, it is hard.

host: we are a public service network and certainly there were watchrtage of places to the wedding. calling on the democrats line. caller: mr. schneider, earlier you mentioned something about -- you said things got bloody. i am a retired police officer. i guess what i'm thinking is i am worried that same thing is going to happen if donald trump shuts down this investigation. if he manages to get this thing shut down, i mean, seriously, i worry there is going to be a big backlash and it could get bloody again. i want to know, do you think that is headed that way? you: a quick question for -- do you think the president preemptively is trying to

discredit robert mueller and the investigation based on his tweets and comments? caller: without a doubt. it is so obvious. -- we are all watching the crimes play out on tv. it is that obvious. like i say, i feel that we are going to see a lot of blood if he shuts this down, because people will not stand for it. host: thank you. you were quick to say yes as well. guest: i do not use the word "bloody." .hat is a little too gruesome i think there will be a lot of anger and resistance, as there was when richard nixon shut down the independent candle -- counsel investigation. it will be extremely controversial. there will be a lot of pressure for impeachment in the democratic party. what happens is when the word "impeachment" comes up, it takes

over the agenda. remember in 1998 when bill clinton attacked the terrorists in sudan? the press covered that by saying, he is wedding the dog, trying to avoid the scandal of monica lewinsky. impeachment takes over the whole agenda. "bloody" is not a word i would use. i would say there will be nothing else happening except discussions of impeachment for about a year if that is what happens. host: if that does happen, is there a concern the democrats could overreach the way republicans did with bill clinton? guest: that could be. that could very well happen. the most important thing, if democrats decide to run their campaign in 2018 by pledging they will impeach the president as soon as they take a majority in the house, that is going to be extraordinarily divisive because it will produce backlash among trump supporters and republicans, who will come out

in huge numbers to protect their president. the president -- democrats may wish impeachment but i do not think that is wise. host: it begins in new hampshire and iowa. good morning, can from new hampshire, republican line. i have a quick comment and a question. the comment is, i really get tired of hearing the argument that trump one best lost the popular vote, -- lost the popular vote. that is not the system. we all know that i wish that goes away. it does not work that way, especially when you look at america [indiscernible] trump one all but a few of those counties. that is a statement from the

american people saying we are ungovernable and we needed somebody from the outside to come in and clean up. us,alized he is a bully for so that is the change on that one. when you bring a crisis, yes, it does take a crisis. pearl harbor, i think you mentioned that. what about what we were in with hillary clinton and comey and loretta lynch and mccabe? wouldn't that be considered a crisis, all the corruption going on? is that not a crisis and why we need to make a change, to get back to us, america, what is us? we are about what makes us great. host: i will get a response. guest: i am not sure i understood the last part because it was a little garbled. the way i like to put it is donald trump won by the rules. there is no question. the electoral college is the

rules. without a popular majority, he did not have a great mandate. we always look at elections and say, did he get a mandate? he got a mandate for a very simple reason, his election was so unexpected, the fact that he did something that nobody expected to happen and won the election by the roles gave him a sense of momentum. you gave him a real base in politics. that is very true. host: the book is called "standoff: how the government -- the country became ungovernable." with us is bill schneider now teaching at ucla. guest: and george mason. host: two crofton, nebraska, the republican line. caller: mr. schneider, quick question and comment. mentionedy that you the kennedys, probably the most

corrupt family america has ever had, especially john and ed. ando back to the dossier how cnn has been complicit with proving -- and they used a cnn report when they went to the court. all of these other things that the last caller mentioned with hillary and comey and loretta lynch, is this not a crisis? are we not in a crisis right now? guest: the way you determine whether it is a crisis is by looking at public opinion, and finding out if there is a huge demand from the public to do something, anything, to get us out of this mess. when that happens, the government clicks into shape, the divisions disappear, congress asked, and we do something. that is what we did during the financial crisis and got president obama's economic stimulus plan passed even though

it was controversial, because we had to do something. the real test of a crisis is, is there an overwhelming demand from the public that the government do something? when elected officials feel that demand, they act and stop blocking things. host: i will have you looked in the monitor and tell your audience, this is the old congressional pennsylvania map before the supreme court redistricted the 18 congressional districts. this is the old map and this is the new map, which is a factor in the primaries that took place this past week. how significant is this for the house of representatives? guest: very significant, because it raises questions of whether republicans have tried to remain in power through gerrymandering and designing districts. voters are supposed to choose their elected officials, but in gerrymandering, elected officials choose their voters. they are self designed restricts

intended to keep someone -- districts intended to keep someone in office. it is an outrageous system. it happens every 10 years and that is why the 2020 congressional elections, state elections rather, it will be very important because they draw the district lines. host: who was elbridge gerry? guest: elbridge gerry, he was a member of congress way back in the early 1800s. host: from massachusetts. guest: they designed a district to protect him. by getting ated district with a lot of his friends and neighbors, but it was an oddly shaped the strict. -- district. columnist noticed the map looked like a salad or so they named it a gerrymander. host: go ahead.

caller: thank you, mr. schneider, for your honest appraisal of what is going on in this country today. i believe we are in a crisis right now with this president. i just wake up every morning, look at the news, and i get sick to my stomach. i just cannot believe it. , that hasther comment nothing to do with this, but it does have to do with the texas massacre, the latest one. , we are going to have to wake up to the fact that not everyone should be walking around with an ar-15 and two banana clips taped together. i understand that this kid did

not have that. that the school bears some responsibility. this kid shows up to school every day with a black trench taped tond nazi pins it, and no one thought it necessary to sit down and talk with this kid. it is just irresponsible. host: we will get a response. guest: there is an epidemic of school shootings that are increasing at a rapid pace. that could very well, it is shaping up as a national crisis. the issues of guns and school shootings have become the number one issue to most americans right now. they want something done. that chose the evidence of becoming a crisis, exactly the way i described it. voters are telling elected officials and everyone who will listen, we have to do something about this.

not necessarily gun control, that could be part of it, but they want something done about this mass epidemic of school shootings. host: this is the headline from the washington post -- 2018 has been deadlier for schoolchildren and service members. there have been 22 school shooting since january. guest: just about everyone has been to school, has family in school, and the spreads across the whole country because even in areas that have not experienced this sort of terrible violence, students are afraid to go to school. they are wondering every day they go to class, will they be shot? host: since columbine, 216,000 students have been exposed to school shootings. guest: that is right. that is an awful lot of students and there are more than that in school. they are all nervous, all terrified. that shows all the indications of becoming a national crisis. host: bill schneider, you mentioned something earlier, and

we have the video from june last year of the cabinet meeting. let's watch and listen. >> what we will do, most of the people know most of the people around the room. i will start with our vice president. there he is. maybe start with mike and go around, and you name your position and we will ask these folks to go back and have a good day, and we will discuss our various reports. >> thank you, mr. president. it is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president to a president who is keeping his word to the american people. bringing real change, real prosperity, israel strength back to our nation. -- and real strength back to our nation. >> i am proud to be here and celebrate this group. , as you know, i

am not sure the rest of you understand the support, but law enforcement around the country are very frustrated and they are so thrilled we have a new idea, that we are going to support them and work together to lawfully fight the rising crime we are seeing. it is great to serve you in that regard. you have the exact right message , and the response is fabulous around the country. >> great success, including ms-13, they are being thrown out in record numbers and rapidly. they are being depleted. they will all be gone pretty soon. >> mr. president, i'm privileged to be here, deeply honored, and i want to thank you for your commitment to the american workers. this week is a full schedule for you, focusing on the american worker. we are very excited at the department of labor and the apprenticeship program that will

be announced, and i think this will make a real difference. thank you. >> thank you and congratulations. >> it is an honor to be on the team. i had the great privilege to represent america to china at the green energy ministerial. they needed to hear why america was stepping away from the paris accord, and they did, and america is not stepping back. we are stepping into play and sending these messages that we are still going to be leaders in the world when it comes to the climate, but we are not going to be held hostage to some executive order that was ill thought out. my hat is off to you for taking that stand and sending a clear message around the world that america will continue to lead in the area of energy. >> thank you. host: from june 12, 2017, the full event available on our website. you refer to this as dear

leader. why? guest: it looks like what they do and north korea when they say dear leader. it is embarrassing. lots of people were humiliated by this, exposure to a president who laps up flattery. he solicits flattery. there is something unique about donald trump. he is a divider. he won the country by dividing the country. he is a good businessman. tosaw the opportunity exploit division, and that is what got him elected. he governs as a divider. presents in aur row, who each promised to heal the country. the first george bush was kinder and gentler, fired after one term. bill clinton, no way democrat, got impeached.

bush, because of the iraq war, the country was more divided than ever. barack obama said there was no liberal conservative america, there is only a united states of america. he was wrong. he got a key party revolt. donald trump was not like any of his predecessors. they all offer to be healers. donald trump is anything but a healer. host: do you think we will hear anymore public statements by president obama? this president has done a lot to turn back a lot of the obama era . guest: there is a bitter joke going around among democrats saying that if donald trump had succeeded him hamilton, he would have reinstituted slavery. that is very cynical. he is attempting to eradicate everything obama a compost. a lot of republicans agree with that.

this is a very big problem. iod ofld be in a per lurching presidencies. the president from the right, a president from the left who each tries to eradicate the legacy of his predecessor. that could be very dangerous. bbc: carry on the parliament channel. good morning to you. thank you. i am an american living in britain. democracy was a weird idea, to let everyone have the same rule. where america may seriously be going wrong is the whole basis of democracy is that the majority wins, and that gives the person who won the election rule because the

majority of the people are behind them. i know why gerrymandering and the electoral college developed over time. everyone understands democracy all over the world as majority rule. in america, we have someone who did not get the most votes who is the president. it's completely blows the idea of democracy skyhigh. what you have is a kind of weir d system of rules where the majority is not ruling. no wonder the president doesn't have backing, he doesn't represent the most bugs. host: twice within 18 years, we had a president who won but did not win the popular vote. george w. bush in 2000 and donald trump in 2016. guest: that damaged them when they got elected. they did win by the rules of the electoral college. they started off with very weak

support. in donald trump's case, he did get something of a mandate because his victory was so unexpected. in george w. bush in 2000, al gore said he did not agree with the supreme court's decision, but he would abide by it. there was no rioting in the streets because gore gave that signal. george w. bush did get a mandate eventually, september 11 2001. that is when he got a mandate, not from the election. host: as an academic, this is a speculative question. won theary clinton presidency with the republicans in the house and senate, what would her first two years have been like? guest: open political warfare. bill clinton was able to deal with the republicans. he was a very moderate democrat. a lot of democrats are turning

against bill clinton because he was a very moderate democrat. form, ther regulation of wall street. host: he had to because he had a divided government. guest: you have to make a deal. compromise. it is very cynical. people don't like it. that is what is mandated by the constitution. tyt party voter -- tea par nce confronted president clinton, and she said read the and constitution. host: go ahead, diana. guest: good morning. caller: good morning, bill schneider.

i have a question for you. said to remember every politician is in business for themselves. that really struck me. nerve.ck a i want you to explain to me what means.tually it sheds a pretty dim light on politicians. i just want you to expound on that. guest: ok. what i mean is that unlike other countries, parliamentary democracies, our politicians are not the soldiers in a party army. sometimes they abide by party discipline, but they don't see themselves as there to enforce party discipline. that is not what they are all about. they are all about advancing

their own careers. that is why i say they are independent political entrepreneurs. if they are republican, they will support a republican president if they believe it will advance their careers. ppose all also o republican president if they think that will advance their careers. host: good morning. you have recovered from the wedding over the weekend? caller: thank you. we had a lovely day. we are proud country today. i tried to watch you as often as i can. mr. schneider, thank you. i think this is one of the first moments after the 2016 election that makes sense, where i am listening to somebody that explains things in a way that my instinct tells me this is right. every time is this,

these awful shootings and massacres in your schools occur, suppose sort of -- i tradition is the wrong word -- i the only the quote, solution to a bad guy with the gun is to take away the gun. i got a sense that there was an inertia on capitol hill as far as dealing with this, i would say, crisis. sandyok at the parents of hook. as far as they're concerned, it is a crisis. themicians, we can berate or love them or whatever. they responded to thanks, public criticism and cash.

safety ofd hold the the nation's children above their wallets, that you think? -- don't you think? is the crisis at the point where america needs to look long and hard at the constitution, particularly the second minute, and decide it is not fit for purpose. it was written almost 300 years ago in a completely different context. there will be a certain amount of instability, and people will get hold of weapons that can cause such tremendous devastation. that?not time to tackle host: thank you for the call. thank you for tuning in every sunday. we appreciate it. guest: guns are in the constitution. the supreme court ruled a few years ago that it is an individual right to carry a gun. it is very difficult to amend the constitution.

you try that. it is a very elaborate process. the problem is guns have a very special meaning to a lot of americans. to a lot of gun owners, they are a symbol of individual freedom. they see that as a basic protection against an abusive and tyrannical government. i have been to gun shows, and i have had people come up to me and say if jews in europe have had guns, there was have been no holocaust. if africans had guns, there would be no slavery. that is honestly absurd, but they believe that. about resistance to authority. we were settled by runaways to authority. defiance is in our culture. there is nothing that describes donald trump as president more than defiance.

press, washington, and common decency. that is part of american makeup. host: the washington post, when is it going to stop, quoting one student. don is joining us from new mexico, one for independents. caller: good morning. can you hear me? host: we can. go ahead. caller: this morning, the cabinet meeting, the way in which everyone cap have to the theident -- kowtowed to president, you talk about the way in which he controls and governs america. i have been reading some books. one of them is fascism by madeleine albright. lessonsn tyranny, 20

from the 20th century. another one is how democracies die. if you saw fascism, could you identify it? guest: yeah. i know what fascism is. i have studied it. i have studied the history in germany and italy and japan. it is a constant danger for any system that is a democracy to decline into fascism if there is enough crisis and pressure. there is something i think that protects americans from that kind of deterioration. order.ur constitutional our constitutional order keeps us from becoming extremists, from having any extremists taking over the country. our constitutional order is very powerful. it was written to protect americans, the american nation from a tyrant. it also protects us from an

megalomaniac. there are many checks and balances on president trump and what he does. there is a congress controlled by his own party that doesn't always cooperate. there are state governments in open defiance of the present. there are courts. there are lots of ways in which you can put up blockades against what a president wants to do. system.rotected by our host: your thoughts on the vice president? garner oncenk nance said not worth a picture of warm spit. i think it was a lot more vulgar. he is always someone else's man. if you are the vice president, that sets you up nicely to be the next presidential nominee after the president retires.

it is very likely mike pence will be the nominee whenever donald trump leaves office. he very rarely wins. the only one who did was george h.w. bush. the vice president when he runs for office, he has a problem because he is seen as someone else's man. pence is trump's man. be trump'salways man. a lot of voters will say, this guy's not independent enough. host: this is what mike pence said about president trump. >> watches address to congress. what you saw a couple days ago is what i see everyday in the west wing, boundless optimism, energy, and an unshakable belief in the american people and the

capacity of all of you to make america great again. trump's leadership is already making america great again. it is deeply humbling. this small town boy from across theborder to have opportunity to serve as vice president. i want to thank you. [applause] for the first time in a long time, i said earlier in this week, we have a president with broad shoulders and a big heart. guest: donald trump when he was campaigning made a deal with conservatives. saidrvatives basically we will support you, and we want you in the white house so you will sign whatever legislation the republican congress passes and keep your mouth shut. what they got was a president who mostly signs what

republicans passed but does not keep his mouth shut. we are seeing bigger and bigger division by education in america. the better educated you are now, the more likely you are to vote democratic. the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to vote republican. students will say, what about people who are wealthy and well educated? they are what sociologists call cross pressured. if they vote their economic interests, they would vote republican, mitt romney. ote their conscience, they will vote democratic. that would be barack obama. republican voters are leaving the republican party because they cannot stand donald trump. host: this is the headline this morning. front page of the new york four, co-written by

reporters, the trumpet in corey trump inquiry includes contacts in the gulf. before the bureau had any inkling of the phone russia hopes. in fact, fbi agents sent an informant to talk to to campaign advisers only after they had evidence that the pair were linked to russians during the campaign. may contact late this summer with one campaign advisor, george papadopoulos, and later carter page. the role of the informant is at the heart of the newest battle between top law enforcement officials and president trump's .ongressional allies no evidence has emerged that the

informant acted improperly when the fbi asked for help in gathering information on before campaign advisers were that the agents feared from fbi's investigative guidelines, which would be illegal. the president said the following, "things are getting really ridiculous. the failing and crooked new york times has done a long and boring story indicating that the world's most expensive witchhunt has found nothing on russia and me, and so now they are looking at the rest of the world." this goes back to the headline about contacts in the gulf. guest: what he is doing is feeding his base. your base are the people who are with you when you are wrong. donald trump is wrong very often. there whothose out will stick with them through thick oregon. he knows that.

-- thick or thin. he knows that. he feeds his base. they might be as much as a quarter of the country, not 42%. that is his approval rating. there are people who will believe him the matter what he says. he did say the most incredible things. he is at war with the intelligence community, the fbi, the justice department. they are all out to get him. they are certainly looking into what is happening in his campaign. that is what they're supposed to do. ase believes this is a witchhunt. they will fight for him to the death. host: the book is standoff. the message is what? guest: this country has never been so divided. we have a country that is governing us by dividing us. i am encouraged by the fact we have a constitutional order that fromritten to protect us

tyranny. host: bill schneider, thank you for joining us. please come back again. guest: my pleasure. host: north korea and that scheduled summit still on the calendar for june 12 in singapore. joining us now is lisa collins. us on this sunday morning, may 20. >> tonight on q&a, william hitchcock on his book the age of eisenhower, america and the world in the 1950's. >> i call it the disciplined presidency. eisenhower was a disciplined man, a great athlete when he was young, organized in every respect, methodical.

that is how he ran the white house. he was extremely organized. a lot of people, especially john kennedy criticized eisenhower's steadiness for being so disciplined and predictable. for eisenhower, that meant when crises came, he had a plan. he knew how to respond. used to say plans were worthless, but planning is everything. he was very systematic in the way the government. he met the press every week. he met congressional leaders every week. he chaired a national security council. he had his thumb on the government. he trusted the process. >> q&a, tonight at 8:00 a.m. eastern. it :00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> monday night on the

communicators, the second part of our coverage of the congressional caphac kathon. >> our goal is to bring together people on capitol hill to improve government, make government more accountable to the people and use the tools here to better serve our constituents. >> we engineered a new process for creating committee hearing reports. that is a process that has been in place for many decades. thatveloped an app automates the process of compiling and rendering committee hearing reports. that is taking a process that that isks to do the one done with the click of a button. >> watch the communicators monday night on c-span2.

"washington journal" continues. host: we want to welcome lisa theins, career fellow at center for strategic and international studies. guest: thank you for having me. host: the summit scheduled for june 12 in singapore, will it happen? guest: i do think it will happen. both leaders seem to be preparing and raising expectations for the summit. i think it will happen. host: do you think this white house has had enough time to prepare? guest: it is a good question. i think the process is sort of reverse from the way they have normally been done. meetinga presidential that will probably be followed by working level talks. the order is flipped. company minister officials are working very hard to prepare,

and i think they will have some sort of agreement for the meeting. what is on the agenda for the u.s. and president trump, and what is on the agenda for north korea and kim jong-un? guest: we don't have a lot of specific details yet, but i think the issue of denuclearization will be an issue for the u.s. i think also trying to figure out what will be the security situation in the region going forward. maybe there will be talk of a peace treaty between the u.s. and north korea. i think they will talk about koreang u.s.-south military exercises in the region. there may be some economic assistance they want as a concession for getting rid of their nuclear program. denuclearization is still not clear yet. host: the economic aspect of

that, is it a driving force for kim jong-un? guest: i don't think it is a driving force for the meeting coming up. it is an important issue for kim jong-un. he has been squeezed by sanctions over the past year. he knows there is a need to develop its economy further. i think he is worried about the chinese influence in the north korean economy. he probably wants to balance that out by getting some economic aid from the u.s. in the long-term, north korean economy the way it is run right now is not sustainable. the north korean leader needs to find alternative options. host: can you give us a snapshot of north korea. how many people live their? what is life like outside of the capital pyongyang? i believe the population is currently 25 million people, half the population of south korea. the primary drivers of the

economy are illicit activities, at least at the level of the state run activity. they use a lot of trafficking of drugs. they gain money through illicit activities abroad and try to funnel that currency into the north korean economy and kim jong-un's personal coffers to develop certain projects. at the level of the people, there is different activity that is happening. over the past 10 years, there has been the development of markets, which is highly unusual because it is a socialist economy. those would have been illegal in the past. because kim jong-un's economy has needed to develop, people markets toped these trade and barter because the state run economy, the provisions that provided for people in the past basically

collapsed after the famine of the 1990's. there is the informal market and then there is the state-controlled market that is basically for the people in going on. -- pyongyang. host: who is feeding the north korean people? guest: they are feeding themselves. host: we are not shipping in food on a regular basis? guest: there is trade with the chinese. there is trade on the north korean chinese border that the north korean people are dependent on. they have been providing for themselves. kim jong-un provides for the elite officials in pyongyang. dmz and you think the u.s. troops will be on the table? guest: i think they will be on the table. i think this last threat by the north korean regime to pull out of the summit if they don't get what they want, i think that may

to introduceloy the issue of the u.s.-south korean military exercises that every year. host: the north korean leader knew those military exercises were taking place. why did that become an issue? guest: i think it was perhaps a way to introduce this issue of u.s. troops on the peninsula and as a way to talk about john bolton and their unhappiness with him talking about the libyan model for denuclearization. i think there's also this frustration with south koreans bringing up the issue of human rights. they also probably wanted to drive a wedge between south korea and the u.s. leading up to the summit. host: in response to what john

bolton, the new national security adviser, on fox news sunday, the president said this about lydia and his intentions as he prepares to meet with kim jong-un. >> the model, if you look at that model with qaddafi, that was a total decimation. we went in there to beat him. that model will take place if we don't make a deal most likely. if we do make a deal, i think kim jong-un will be very happy. i really believe he will be very happy. this is just the opposite. i think when john bolton made that statement, he was talking about if we are going to be having a problem because we cannot let that country have nukes. we just cannot do it. it is really just the opposite. if you look at syria, that was a total decimation. >> was security guarantees are you willing -- >> i am willing to do a lot.

he is willing to do a lot also. i think we will have a good relationship assuming we have a meeting. he will get protections that will be very strong. syria never had protections. if you look anywhere around the middle east, iraq, libya. with libya, certainly they did not have protection. they had the exact opposite. that was absolute decimation. that is what we planned to do and did. host: this is from the north korean first vice minister for foreign affairs. he said high-ranking officials are letting loose the assertions of the so-called libya mode of .uclear abandonment this is not an expression of intention to address the issue through dialogue. if the u.s. is trying to drive us into a corner, we will no longer be interested in such

reconsider ourll proceeding to the summit. guest: i think they have made clear that they will not follow the libya model. they get very angry when the via is brought up i think this is next russian of their unhappiness with the remark made expression ofan their unhappiness with the remark made by john bolton. they wanted to make that very clear. collinsr guest is lisa from csis. iris is joining us from michigan. caller: good morning. ask, it seemso like the sins of the father are always visited on the children. because the father was one way, the kids have to follow suit.

he smiles a lot, and there was obviously a lot of connection with the south koreans just planning the olympics and getting their outfits together and sending south koreans to washington to make the arrangements with the president. why do we punish countries all the time by depriving them of food and medicine? if we did that in this country, we would take the children away from the parents. host: we will get a response. guest: i think the north korean leader is responsible for feeding his own people. he has been unable to do that because of the way the economy is structured. his trade with china has been an attempt to bring in food, but the u.s. is not one that should be providing food and supplies to the people. that is one for the leader to do. our: be sure to check out free c-span radio app.

we are talking about north korea. the summit is scheduled to take place in just a couple weeks following the g-7 summit in ottawa, canada. from texas,ning us republican line. good morning. caller: can you hear me? can.: we sure caller: i was in the army. we were part of that team spirit. to line upwould need in order for unification to take place? guest: unification is a very complicated issue. there are basically three scenarios that we can imagine that would need to take place. one would be war on the korean peninsula. one might be the collapse of the north korean state as we know it

and some agreement with countries in the region. then there would be peaceful unification that would happen between the u.s., south korea, north korea, and probably china. it is hard to tell what scenario will end up happening. there are a lot of competition factors involved in this. we hope that peaceful unification will be something that happens. there are many steps that would have to take place. person for foremost, north korea would have to get rid of its nuclear weapons program to be able to even talk about having a peace treaty in the future. the north koreans and south koreans would have to come to some agreement about how the process would proceed. host: (202) 748-8000 is our line for democrats. (202) 748-8001 four republicans. natasha on the, republican line. caller: good morning.

how are you doing? host: we are great. how are you? caller: i'm doing fine. i'm trying to figure out why donald trump -- host: secretary of state oalmdale has been to -- pompe has been to north korea. not vice president pence. caller: he wasn't? host: he was in south korea for the winter olympics. guest: he was in south korea supporting american athletes for the olympics. host: what does north korea have in terms of nuclear capacity? guest: we don't really know. with great has never given us a material,clear

weapons, facilities. that is something that would have to happen for us up front to proceed with the verification process in order to get rid of the nuclear weapon program. -- next iss is bruce. caller: i am enjoying the show. i want to ask the guest, what would north korea demand for permanently getting rid of their nuclear program? i just cannot see anything that would take away that huge surviv al chip for the kim regime. guest: in the past, north korea has asked that the u.s. provided security guarantees for the north korean regime in order to allow the north koreans to give up their weapons program.

what that means in practical terms, speaking with negotiators who have been involved in four, it is usually that north korea wants the u.s. and south korea to end military exercises that happen every year. usually they want to talk about removing u.s. troops from the korean peninsula, and they also want to be provided with some sort of economic package, aid and fuel. there would be quite a number of things they would ask for. host: this week, sarah huckabee sanders confirmed they are keeping the next day open if the talks continue. what does that tell you? guest: i think there been reports that xi jinping might be in the region for the meeting. there might be a trilateral meeting with the u.s., north korea, and china. there might be a meeting with

other regional allies such as south korea and japan. how big of deal is it for the north korean leader to leave pyongyang and travel to singapore? guest: it is a very big event. the last time he left was just a xi weeks ago to meet with jinping. this is a very big event for him. host: will you be taking any steps to make sure he is not force out while he is in singapore? guest: i think he has good control over the elites in his country. i don't think that is a very big concern for him at this point. i think he will be concerned about security in singapore. host: the flight, do you know how long it is?

guest: i would say it is between eight to 10 hours. i am not entirely sure. line,mark, republican with lisa collins. get a beste were to case scenario, and north korea denuclearize, what could they base their economy on? labor, but export that is basically slave labor. how could they utilize their land and people to build an economy that could survive this? host: thank you. guest: north korea has many natural resources, including minerals. they have a lot of coal they have exported in the past to china and other countries to earn money. they have industry in north korea that could be rebuilt and organize in a modern fashion as

the basis for a thriving economy. i think that is what south koreans have hoped for in the past. if there was a peace treaty between north and south, south korean economic aid could be develop the north korean economy. our producer indicating the flight is six and a half hours from north korea to singapore. the north korean leader rarely if ever leaves his country. guest: that is correct. that was probably one of the considerations when thinking about this summit and preparations. he probably did not want to travel too far outside of north korea. he could have gone to europe and a third-party country such as sweden or switzerland, but choosing singapore is a safe et, not only because they have posted international events

in the past, but because it would be a shorter flight for him. host: why not china ? why was that taken off the table? alwaysnorth koreans are concerned about excessive chinese influence in their decision-making. that was probably the reason to have it in a neutral third party country, to prevent the chinese from having too much influence. host: baltimore, maryland, hermann, independent line. caller: i'm sorry, i forgot the guest's name. host: lisa collins. caller: thank you. i am interested in hearing white the north koreans have built up there nuclear capacity. host: what is your opinion? caller: in my opinion, it is as defense against the u.s.

of trumpsion, the aim negotiations should be that we give them an ironclad assurance that we never attacked them ever. host: thank you. guest: i think you are correct that north korea built up its nuclear weapons program because they perceived the u.s. to be a threat to their country, and that stems from the korean war and the cold war experience. not for you the past has been given security assurances. there was the 1994 framework in which u.s. negotiators provided those types of assurances, but north korea and the backing out up backing out and cheating on some of its nuclear weapons program. it developed its enriched uranium program that was also a

big factor in why some of these negotiations fell three. host: lisa collins will be with us until the top of the hour. (202) 748-8000 is our line for democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. newsmakers at 10:00 eastern time. our guest is adam schiff, the ranking democrat on the house intelligence committee. chris, republican line. caller: good morning. i definitely see a way forward as far as being able to assure kim with the full dismantlement of his nuclear program and weapons that the u.s. come plan similar to the marshall plan that the u.s. brings in development to north korea supported by institutions

such as the world bank and united nations. i think that is the deal that is ultimately going to be on the table. youru completely dismantle weapons and weapons program, we will allow your country to fully develop, and at the end of that be part of the international community as far as trade and interactions. host: thank you. guest: i definitely think that is what the u.s. wants. it wants north korea to join the international community, to be part of world trade. i think if that is the deal that can be made in the future, it is certainly within the u.s. interest. i think the main problem has always been the issue, will north korea get rid of its nuclear weapons?

does kim jong-un have the intent to do that? what would they ask for to do that? these have always been sticking points. they continue to be serious issues that the u.s. and north korea are debating in these negotiations. they are not easily resolvable. i hope there will be some progress made before the summit. host: from massachusetts, richard, gratifying. good morning. -- democrats line. good morning. caller: good morning. i have a couple of questions. the regime in north korea, in regards to our international policies, especially with someone like john bolton being our national security adviser for this administration, whose track record is so deplorable by the remarks he has made in regards to libya and bombing

iraq before any diplomacy could be initiated and warmongering temperament he had in foreign policy, i wonder what your opinion is of the north korea regime, how do they view bolton and the trump administration? given this unpredictability in what iswhat does -- running through their minds? if you can read what the regime is anticipating for future motives based on the actions of someone like bolton. on the other hand, your opinion on, i am only a layperson, but you are a professional on this topic. i cannot imagine north korea giving up its potential nuclear

threat to anybody with the kind of situation they are in. they would be. to do that. i am certain they are not going do that.ols to i'm certain they are not going to do that. what is your opinion? host: thank you. guest: i think the north koreans do not like john bolton. they have made that clear. they mentioned him in a statement a few days ago when they threatened to pull out of the summit. again, they don't like the fact that john bolton has talked about regime change, talked about the libya model of denuclearization when gaddafi was got rid of that short time after getting rid of his nuclear weapons program did whether they -- program. he has aney think influence on president trump,

that has yet to be determined. they are aware president trump is his own man. they have studied his negotiation style and strategy in the past. north koreans are reading books about trump. his unpredictable leadership style can be an advantage. he is doing things differently, and that could be something that could be positive in the run-up to the summit. they may see an opportunity for the potential for a deal to be made that may not have been possible in the past because it takes so much time at the working level to figure things out. at this time, we have two leaders meeting. that could be a chance for a grand bargain to happen. the north koreans are probably playing with all of these factors. they believe that president trump will be the decision-maker at this event. come did this opening also

with a new south korean leader? guest: i believe many people believe president moon has played an important part in leading the negotiations, particularly earlier this year in the run-up to the olympics and afterwards. a lot of people give credit to president moon for spearheading much of the engagement with north korea that led to the invitation by north korea for a u.s.-north korea summit. host: we are talking about north korea, the summit in singapore. our guest is lisa collins with csis. howard is joining us from indiana, republican line. good morning. want to ask about the 25 million people in north korea. how many of them are in the military? how expensive, what percentage of gdp is he spending?

person that type of realizes if there was a peaceful reunification, those people can be put to work in the economy rather than the military? north korea has one million people in its army. that is larger than most any army around the world. oftentimes even the army personnel are used for construction projects in the country. the army is integrated to some extent in the north korean economy and certain projects that they complete. i think the north korean economy would hopefully be developed further if they got rid of the nuclear weapons program. that would include integrating the army personnel into the regular populace to work and economic element projects.

host: we learned from the white house today that yesterday the president was on the phone with president moon discussing this summit and laying the groundwork for june 12. for them is important to continue to communicate with each other in the lead up to the summit. that is something they are constantly doing in preparation for the upcoming negotiations. host: william is next in massachusetts. democrats line. caller: good morning. y question for lisa is how motivated is the u.s. to comply to the requests that will be koreans whenorth they ask you to remove the

from near the border. would america be able to do that? guest: i think the u.s. would firsto talk to its allies for any proposals to remove u.s. troops or u.s. bases from the region. those that are on the peninsula are there to protect south korean citizens and american citizens that live in south korea. there are about 120,000 u.s. citizens that live in the country. that would be an important consideration for u.s. strategy in the region. i think the u.s. government would need to talk with congress , the white house, and the department of defense before coming to any plan. this tweet from a

regular viewer, isn't there a large -- who is all in on the reunification? guest: i think there are elements of his party that are practical minded and view creating conditions for peace on the peninsula are very important, and then you can talk about reunification i think there is an order that president moon is talking about first thinking about peace and then reunification. host: good morning. thank you for waiting. caller: good morning. i am trying to say that the u.s. never tells the population that south korea has a ministry of reunification.

they are driven to reunite with their brothers in north korea. policy to haves peace first and then reunite with their brothers is the goal. the fact that the u.s. has a e is something from the korean war, not needed today if there is peace. host: thank you. guest: president clinton is speaking -- moon is speaking about all of these issues. the administration has been involved with all of these discussions. the ministry of reunification creates policy for long-term thinking of reunification on the korean peninsula. i think they are focused on practical issues for trading fees and getting rid of -- creating peace and getting rid

of nuclear weapons first and foremost. host: john on the democrat on. good morning. caller: thank you. after libya where they struck a deal on denuclearization, and we later helped overthrow it off a iran where and after we struck a deal and later reneged, how can we assure north korea we will not do the same? guest: that is a good question. that is one the north koreans certainly think very carefully about the they have been reluctant. -- very carefully about. they have been reluctant to trust the u.s. nine i think it would take a long process of trust building and guarantees on the part of the u.s. and north korea and matching different

levels of guarantees going forward, and that would hopefully build a certain amount of trust about the u.s. that north korea could believe in going forward. hopefully that process will start with the upcoming summit. view,a different point of what really does north korea have to offer americans? why do we need north korea? they need free stuff from america. guest: i think the u.s. is really hoping north korea will join the international community and stopping a threat to other countries in the region. that is one reason why the u.s. has agreed to engage in this process of dialogue to get rid of a nuclear weapons program. to be partth korea of the international community would need certain guarantees. that is why we are talking about this. host: danny from carolina.

good morning. caller: a lot of republicans have already given donald trump the nobel peace prize. let me see if i can get this right. bill clinton and george bush, ronald reagan, they cannot do anything with north korea. boltontrump sends john on television to say we are going to use the libya model. suddenly, they are supposed to donald his nukes, and supposed to walk away in the sunset and pick up the nobel prize. lisa, you and i both know that donald trump is the worst negotiator, and he is the worst person to possibly do this.

host: we will stop you there to get a response. guest: there are different opinions about how donald trump negotiates in these types of situations. there are some people who think the unpredictability of the present is a positive -- president is a positive aspect, and there are people who are very negative about it. it depends on your perspective on this. we will not know how this turns out until the summit happens. when that happens, we can be a better judge of the negotiations. host: what advice would you give the president? guest: i would advise the president to listen to his primary advisors, john bolton, secretary of state mike pompeo, people who have worked on this issue continuously. i would advise him to listen to secretary of state ma ttis. they have worked on this issue

and have good ideas of what should be done going forward. he should read the notes they provide him and listen to what they have to say. don't go on his own instincts. don't make decisions, spot positions at the summit itself, but listen to the advisors who are giving him good advice. host: lisa collins, career fellow at the center for strategic and international studies, csis. session, and senate in and look for a number of key votes including repeal of the allowingk bill and those terminally ill to experiment with drugs not approved by the fda. the hill newspaper and cq roll call will be with us for a full hour from 8:00 to 9:00

eastern time. and later minnesota education issues as part of c-span's 50 state tour. we hope you tune in tomorrow morning. thank you for joining us. it stopped raining here in washington dc. have a good weekend. epa administrator scott