trump's over the top. let's play hard ball. donald trump has earned enough delegates to win the republican nomination on the first ballot in cleveland. he is over the top. it was unbound delegates that did it. he did a victory lap tossing out red meat attacks against president obama, hillary clinton, senator warren. let's watch.

>> he's a president who has done a horrible job. everybody understands that. hillary clinton is worse than obama. she said i want to put the coal miners out of business. i want to put the coal mines out of business. she's saying i want to put the steel mills out of business. >> she's made it her job. >> is that offensive? >> it's very offensive. >> i'm sorry about that. pocahontas. elizabeth warren. i think she's as native american as i am. she's a woman that's been very ineffective other than she's got a big mouth. >> that was rough. meanwhile one trump advisor saying his boss plans to soften his most controversial proposal, that ban on all foreign muslims coming to the u.s. trump toyed with a potential television bonanza, a debate with senator sanders. if they can raise 10 to $15 million for charity, it will be

a night of him versus the self-described democratic socialist. one major republican still isn't in the band wagon. that's speaker paul ryan. he was asked about a phone call he had with trump. here is what he had to say. >> it was a productive phone call. we've had conversations. our staffs have been meeting. we had a very good and productive phone call. >> did it get you closer to yes? >> we had a productive phone call. i'll leave it at that. back home hillary clinton took a shot at trump. >> just today, it was reported that donald trump has clenched the number of delegates he needs to be the republican nominee. that means an unqualified, loose cannon is within reach of the most powerful job of the world. >> john, let me look at this

thing and everybody has a point of view but heidi has no point of view. >> right down the middle. >> trump was trump today. this idea he's going to become presidential. he's out there with the pocahontas line wearing thin. this was his chance to jump over and say i won. he didn't act like that. >> that's not his m.o. he will take the racket and beat you with it until you say i give in. that's what he's doing. he's beating on democrats but still beating on other republicans that falling in line. he's making a point to everybody around him that if you don't fall in line, i'm just going to bring this kind of crazy scorn and abuse to you. >> was there logic to what he did today? i think it was. >> he's going to go with what

got him to this point. if he turns more on the democrats than the republicans, he's getting the republican party behind him now. months ago mitt romney was saying you'll never get us behind you, sir. yet nine out of ten republicans in the latest polling say they will support trump. >> because? >> because he's not hillary. he's not hillary. >> that's what he did today. >> they keep doing that. i don't know if there's ever a point where he will try to be more presidential. this is base election. >> he's trying to get up in the high 40s. it will cost him with women. this ain't going to help him with minorities. it's a cheap shot and going after the president. then the president took shots at him today. >> if you look at what he did today, that's the road map he's

following. you have to ask the question of whether he can stick to that. you look at what he did yesterday. look at what he did with susana martinez. there was zero political calculation that would have told him that was a good idea. you're having a problem with latinos and women so you go to a blue state and attack the most prominent latina female in your party. >> even as he clenches the nomination he continues to slam republicans such as susana martinez of new mexico. let's watch. >> we have to get your governor to get going. she's got to do a better job, okay. your governor has got to do a better job. she's not doing the job. poor mitt romney. poor mitt. i have a sore that's worth more money than him. he choked like a dog. you ever see him in athletics. he's a choker. he walks like a penguin on to the stage.

like a penguin. many of people i competed against have now endorsed me. most importantly, no jeb hasn't done it yet. he will get a burst of energy and he will do it. believe me. he needs a little more energy. >> i have to tell you next time i watch mitt romney walk, i'll look for the penguin. i can't resist it now. what does that do for you politically? >> it's what he's always done. it's bullying. he's bullying people that are examples. he doesn't care about martinez or bush or romney. he doesn't need them as far as he's concerned. he uses them as whipping boys to prove to the other members and the fluential voices. if you don't do what i say i'm going to beat on you in public. he's done that to great effects so far. >> why is he doing that?

>> for a party that's defined itself as being this hawkish, tough guy party like republicans have. they fall in line real quick. >> appealing feature of a person is strength. >> he also had an act. >> he's 90 and he's still great. >> he can't give up because he doesn't have policy. he doesn't have anything reasonable to say. this is what got him to this point. >> he's putting down others and he's kicking butt. he will do that again and again. >> i think we're reading a little too mump into this. she was critical of him. what this shows is he didn't have the self-control to think about that political calculation and think about whether this makes any sense on any level to attack her.

he's angry. >> you got the mike here. half the people watch this show a women. i'm wondering about a couple of things. some things he does do not advance his cause but he does them any way. why did he pick a fight with car ly fiorina. he could say i don't think the way you're interrupting. is that a thing here. >> it's a question. i don't know what's in his heart. it's something that women will look at that and ask the question is that sexism or something else. why was he more irritated by her and view her as interrupting him. why was that in his head when she was behaving like any other candidate on the stage. like him calling elizabeth warren pocahontas. the guys started laughing. the more he said it, the woman

standing behind him started biting her lip. i think that's how a lot of moderate republican women are looking at some of the these things that he says opinion it's a little more personal. >> native americans in -- it's not like they're cartoon figures out there. >> it wasn't just that he called her pocahontas. he said she was ineffective and all she had was a big mouth. she got federal agency created and you cannot like her but big mouth. >> last night, donald trump seemed to accept an invitation and today he said he would do it if the event could raise 10 to $15 million for charity. let's watch the counter offer here. >> i think it would get very high ratings. it should be in a big arena somewhere. we can have a lot of fun with it. i'd love to debate bernie.

the problem with debating bernie is he will lose. i wanted to put up money for charity. we had a couple of calls from networks already. >> raise $10 million, you'll get on a debate stage. >> i would love to. >> i can write the headlines now. >> you can tell that's the way it's going to go. they'll be rooting for him. i can see it coming. why would he want to walk into a situation where they're not going to beat bernie sanders. >> how could bernie lose the debate? >> right now he's got about 10%. it's going to become clear to bernie's voters that trump is not somebody their candidate would ever want them to support.

the age old rule of not engaging candidates who are below you. that's why hillary didn't want to debate. >> he's not going to do it. >> it's not him. he wants the networks to pay him to do this. he'll give the money to charity just like with the vets. >> i'm doing it all for women. >> i wonder if they will give it to planned parenthood again. >> everybody's going to cheer and nobody knows such trump moment. i just think he'll lose. thank you. amazing. so smart here.

i do think everything you say is right. coming up, good news and bad news for hillary clinton. the bad news is she's leading bernie sanders with just two points. look, this is going to be tricky out there in california. he could win that one. the good news for hillary, she's beating donald trump among middle income voters in the rust belt states. can clinton fight her two front war against trump and sanders at the same time and win at both? that's ahead. plus, president obama says world leaders are rattled. that's his word, by donald trump. trump's response, good, they should be. it is smart politics for the president to engage like this with the republican nominee? it's dangerous to fight down, i would argue. don't fight with a guy coming at you. much more from the trump archives. more that show earlier signs of what he's selling now. you'll find this fascinating. well show you what he said in 1999 to me.

it's so interesting about today. i'm talking about philly tonight too where the democrats are going. this is hardball, the place for politics.

following a campaign stop, donald trump made an appearance on jimmy kimmel live. he was asked to explain past praise for hillary clinton. let's watch. >> in 2008, i want to get this right. you said you thought hillary would make an excellent president. as recently as 2012, you thought she was terrific. what did she do? >> i'll tell you. i'm a businessman. i had a beautiful story where they said trump is a world class businessman. i speak well of everybody. if people ask me about politician, i speak well. she's wonderful. everybody's wonderful.

that's the way it is. they ask me for contributions, i give contributions. >> so you were full of [ bleep ] when you said that? >> how can you talk like that? we'll be right back.

welcome back to hard ball. hillary clinton is pushing forward despite the state department audit that says she violated the federal recordkeeping rules when she was secretary of state even when one of her closest aides recommend clinton use an official state department e-mail address. clinton said, quote, let's get separate address or device, but i don't want any risk of the personal being accessible. the investigation did not find any evidence that clinton received a new device or address after that discussion. the clinton campaign has been down playing the inspector general's report since it came out yesterday. here is secretary clinton reacting to the report earlier today.

>> this report makes clear that personal e-mail use was the practice for other secretaries of state. i know that because it is well known. it's pointed out in the report. it was still a mistake. if i could go back, i would do it differently. i know people have concerns about this. i understand that. i think voters are going to be looking at the full picture of what i have to offer, my life and my service and the full threat that donald trump offers our country. >> is the interview with the fbi scheduled yet? >> no, it's not. i have offered since last august and i'm looking forward to seeing this matter wrapped up. >> ruth, i know we're talking before. this is a tough one to try to get through. it's murky.

no one ever told secretary clinton when she was secretary don't use the private e-mail server. nobody ever told her. whose fault is that? when you go to school they say use eight and a half by ten paper. use a pencil and there's instructions to every part of our life. there was no literal, clear instructions to her, don't do that. do this. >> there's two levels of fault. there was a culture of enabling around her. you're the important person. you're the principal. everybody wants to make you happy and satisfied. your role as the principal is to have people around you who feel empowered to stand up to you and hillary clinton made a mistake but her staff also and the people who were working for her failed her by not telling her this was a truly bad idea. >> they did fail her. i actually also think there were

some -- i'm a big defender of hillary clinton. i'm going to support the nominee. i think she made a mistake that white house put out some guidelines that she didn't follow. they also knew she wasn't using the right e-mail server and probably somebody at the white house should have said something. i think there's plenty of enabling going on. >> she said yesterday, i'm the only secretary of state who put out all their e-mails. she didn't. she had 31,000 she kept and said they were private. 31,000 is not all. >> right. you got to just come totally clean. >> can she? >> this is the problem she keep saying she did what other secretaries of states have done. i know growing up my mother would chastise me about doing something my friends have done. if they jump off the bridge, are you going to jump too.

this is the point. it's don't totally dismiss it. you have to totally own it. >> do you think this will matter? i always like to ask when i have a problem. will this matter a month from now? >> it may or may not. mr. trump will make sure that the voters never forget it. >> it's one of the things he spews out. does he know what was wrong? >> he's not expressed that. >> can you explain what exactly matters here. why does it matter? >> it's important to understand this inspector general is the jv come papered to what does the fbi, what does the justice department do. it has to do with classified information. i doubt that hillary clinton will be indicted.

the criminal law is strict here. the sense that some people believe that the clinton's don't think the remember rules apply to them. that's why it matters. >> that's perfectly fair for some people to think. it's always a higher standard. >> i ran for president. i've been in the senate. i don't want to be doing anything illegal on the political side. i communicated with people who i've raised money with. >> i'm a true believer in that. i got to get some kid into stanford because they gave me money to campaign. that's a different phone call she should be allowed to keep to herself.

>> let me express some sympathy for hillary clinton. when she says i don't want the personal to come out, that's the result of having years of having everything in her life excavated. >> voters head to the polls on june 7th. that ain't much. >> not at all. >> who's going to spend the big money out there and win this? >> certainly senator sanders big time. >> got five million left right. >> about. he's out there. he's been holding large rallies. he's pressing the flesh. >> two weeks from yesterday.

at 8:00 eastern time, we're going to know that hillary clinton has enough delegates to win this. it's over. what's that do? >> this is bad for the clinton campaign for following reasons. this poll is bad because a week ago she was ahead by 16 points. polls are a snapshot in time. he's still moving. he's moving like this. they've got to do something to stop that movement. >> i hate when you count the super delegates. >> i know you do. that's life. >> they don't count. they don't count until the day of the convention. >> that's life. many believe the 2016 contest will be fought and won in the midwest states. working class voters could swing the contest to trump or clinton if she's the nominee in the

general election. according to a bloomberg politics purple slice poll, clinton leads by seven points among middle class that includes the states of michigan, ohio and pennsylvania. >> 30 to $75,000 a year. >> these are the people that most people believe, if trump has chance these are the people that will need to go there. reagan democrats. >> what's the normal spread? >> is it mostly democratic. >> the group has gone for the winning presidential candidate in six out of last six presidential campaigns. it's been by different margins. >> you think this is good news? >> it's very good news. it closes the door on the strategy. >> it's not going to close the door. >> it's the only door he's got to go through. >> that's exactly right. it's his only door. >> it's one of the doors.

>> he has to go back to a romney strategy where he is focusing on. >> the purple states. he's not going to flip these states. >> here is the question. if the republicans win the deep south, they will win the rocky mountains and the plain states. democrats will win the bicoastal, california and seattle. they will win the east coast. the battleground has to be the middle. >> it's florida, ohio and virginia. it's not michigan and pennsylvania. >> democrats have been winning those pretty consistently. >> who's here from ohio in. >> i am. >> just kidding. >> they do not win. thank you. next, rattled. that's how world leaders are feeling about donald trump. i have mix viewed about world leaders and what they think.

you can see the president take on the republican nominee a much more aggressive way. let's agree on that one. this is hardball, the place for politics.

welcome back to hardball, president obama is in japan where tomorrow he will become the first sitting president to visit hiroshima peace park memorial. today at the g7 summit the focus shifted to the race. world leaders are rattled. that's his word by republican nominee donald trump. >> they are paying very close attention to this election. i think it's fair to say they are surprised by the republican nominee. they are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements, but they are rats rattled by it and for good reason. >> here is what he had the say in response to what the president said in japan. >> when you rattle someone, that's good. many of the world, as you know,

many of the country's in our world, beautiful world have been absolutely abuing us and take advantage of us. if they are rattled we'll have great relationships with these countries. if they are rattled in a friendly way, that's a good thing, not a bad thing. >> rattled is an interesting twist of words. let's talk about this. is this the kind of conversation presidents should get involved in talking about domestic u.s. policy with foreign lead who are are not americans, do not have the same stake in this country that we do and should we even listen to what they have to say. your thoughts on the whole thing. >> one of the biggest jobs is explaining american policy overseas. it's difficult. it's the first question people ask. what is going on with donald trump? he's responding to direct

questions. it was a polite way rather than going into the dirty details. it's impossible now to separate conversations overseas from conversations that happen domestically. it's the nature of the world we live in that everything trump says at an arizona rally or somewhere in north carolina is going to resonate overseas. people pay a lot of attention to what the united states political machine is going to look like. >> this president said it's rattled and should be. >> this is a developer who thinks because he slaps his name on a building, he can do brain surgery. the phony foreign policy where he is saddling up to putin and those who appease -- >> you think he says they are good leaders? >> oh yeah. >> good or strong? >> they're strong leaders. he wanted to meet with the heed

of north korea. why? his quote was he knows how to take care of his opponents. how could leaders who are democrats around the world not be concerned about a guy who believes he's the next -- cordillo. all the latin american strong men in spanish is known as that. >> why might that by concerned about trump? let's take a listen. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shut down of muslims entering the united states. i'll tell you about nato, it's obsolete. we're paying too much money. looks like we're not going to have a good relationship. it's possible that if they don't pay up, they'll have to arm folks. they'll have to arm.

when north korea acts up, let them worry about north korea instead of us worrying about north korea. i will build a great, great wall on our southern border. i'll have mexico pay. saudi arabia, making a billion dollars a day before the oil went down. a billion dollars day making a fortune. we defend them. how stupid are we. >> can you tell the middle east we're not using a nuclear weapon? >> i'm not going to take it off the table. >> how about in europe? >> you won't use it in europe? >> i can't say. i'm not taking cards off the table. >> that crowd were actually laughing at the prospect of anybody seriously saying we might under any circumstances drop a nuclear bomb, an atomic bomb in europe. you can take that off the table. >> chris, when you look at the fact this is guy who went to

military school and we'll put him in as commander in chief and he's encouraging the spread of nukes around the world and counter intuitive and saying we should step back and let everybody go fight their own wars. it should be most likely to start a war underneath his picture. >> a new global poll out today sheds more insight into what the world thinks of trump. his views make the less world safe. nearly three quarters thinks his politics have worsened the view of america and 71% think the positions are bad for the global economy. your thoughts about the numbers. >> it makes perfect sense to me given that what he said feels right at the moment and could change the next day. we've seen some of the

flip-flopping and reversals. no one can figure out what is the underlying theory or if there any any underlying theory. >> it's nationalism. >> it's us against them at any cost. it's not a sign of leadership. it doesn't give our ally who is are dealing with challenges on their doorsteps of terrorism. we have a benefit in the u.s. of being relatively isolated but our allies are looking to address these problems in their country next door and all we can say is we're happy to rattle them and be inconsistent. this is not the steady hands at the wheel that people, even the american public are looking for for a commander in chief. >> the best way to unify people at home and get them excited is to have a foreign person we can all dislike. >> sure. >> we have seen this. >> you make it sounds like he

wants to align with them. >> why doesn't he? >> he thinks that everyone else should do it. >> i don't see how that jibes. how does that jibe with making network great again. >> everybody has not done their fair share and it's up to the united states to step back. hooe going to make america great again. >> he should stick to nato. up next, we open the hardball vault for a new look at the old trump. some of these views are telling about what he's saying now. we're going back to the 1999. we're going back to it. you're watching hardball, the place for politics. show me movies with romance.

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i'd have to be doing shows like this all the time and lots more. i think i could do it. >> 17 years ago. that was 17 years ago. welcome back the hardball. that was donald trump saying 17 years ago if he were to run for president, which he has, he'd have to rely a lot on free media and shows like this even before there were shows like "morning joe." any way back in 1999, trump was considering a white house bid on what was called the reform party ticket. trump told me his campaign would be about restoring the spirit of this country. make america great again. let's watch.

>> how comfortable are you becoming the symbol of american life? >> i think the problem that this country really has is there's a lack of spirit right now, and everything i've done in business and my life i've created this spirit. i have a lot of good friends and everything. my business does great. i'm the biggest developer by far. we can say he's a business guy. he's made a lot of money. i look at other candidates and say what gives them the right. they haven't done a thing. what gives them the right to really go out and run for office. >> i'm joined by the round table as the republican strategist. i think this guy has been thinking about running for president a long time. thinking about how he will get the free media and spirit and morale. >> the free media thing is amazing. you couldn't buy the media he's gotten. once upon a time there's this ideal of oversaturation.

trump has blown that out of water that he is all the time ready to talk to reporters. you still have a lot of politicians now. >> you see him today. he took every single question and wouldn't get off that stage. >> which goes against everything they teach you in communications. >> they have very much limited their exposure to shows like the talk shows at night because they want to stay magical. they want to be rare. trump is not rare. >> he's blanketed the zone. the word spirit struck me as wrong. he's his own advisor. he's making it up himself. when rick wiley was fired yesterday, i was thinking he will rent an aide that has experience. he gets rid of them because he's so convinced that his way is right and so far it has been.

>> trump and i discussed how politics requires hustpah when it comes to raising money. here is an observation. the cost of running. you said the former president who i think is great came into your office one time and asked you for $5 million for his library. you said that's how he got elected. >> that's true. >> would you ask your business competitors to contribute to your campaign? >> i think i would. why not? i'm in a unique position because i can take a lot of money and run for president and not have to ask anybody. i would never look a gift horse in the mouth. if these folks want to contribute to my campaign, i'll take your money. >> put the ten cup out there. eight hours ada on phone. trump's never done that. why not. >> first of all, that's all

going to change. they need to raise a billion dollars. what he did to win aprimary among 17 people is a lot different than going out to win a general. what i'm struck at in looking at the tapes is how likable he's coming across. i have to be honest with you, i'd rather see more of that donald trump than the one we're seeing now. >> trump said in our interview that rich people don't like them. he's viewed more favorfully by blue collar workers. watch this. >> i think the kind of percent or the people that support me or the workers, the construction workers, rich people don't like me. after my new tax plan they like me a lot less. >> why do they like you? >> i build buildings. i think i'm the largest employer in the state of new jersey. i build things. i'm not paper guy. i'm not shifting paper and making money that way. i build buildings. i build great buildings.

>> here is the great question of our time. he acts like the rich guy. he doesn't hide his money. everything about him is cartoonishly rich. working guy look up because he's been builder. all the stuff he fed the guy. the birther thing. all this stuff about mexico and the wall and muslims. did he get the love or support of the working guy. i think i can build on this. you're right. it was not that ethnic stuff in the old interviews. all the stuff people find offensive now wasn't there. >> i also think he's crazy like a fox. he's reading the tea lives. there was a niche for that in the republican primary. it's basic branding. find your niche and dominate that niche. when he laid out the argument about mexicans being rapist and building a wall, all that racial

aversion landed on him and he built upon it. >> he had it back then without that. way back then he thought the working guy liked him. >> i don't think without the racial aversion, without the attacks on the mexicans and muslims he gets through the primary. he has the pull of that white working class who has been hurt and has been undermined. he gets those voters as he's gotten. it's a horrible thing to say but i don't think he does. >> you have to do bad to get them. >> the end doesn't justify the means but he gets there. the roundtable is sticking with us.

does visit that memorial site

and we do take a look at thoughts vivid pictures. and speaking of pictures, look at this. we are looking at u.s. marines there in hiroshima, japan. they're standing by because the president is going to be speaking to them. we understand it's going on be about 15 to 20 minutes, the time that he's going to be speaking to those marines there. and, of course, it has to be exciting for them to see the first u.s. president visiting that part of the world after such a storied history there. can do we have a colonel jack jacobs with us? let's go to him right now, colonel, because you can give us some perspective on all of this. we see people clamoring around, trying to get pictures, trying to get a glimpse of the president. this is really a big deal for that part of the world. >> yeah, it is. it's actually troubling for some people that the president is going to japan to here sheirosh

lay a wreath. there's still a very long memory from world war ii when we had an enormous number of americans serve. fully half of the people in uniform in the pacific and there is still very much a great deal of concern, no matter what the president, what the white house says about this not being an apology for dropping the atomic bomb, there's some consternation. the first thing to keep in mind is that the president of the united states is very much an anti-nuclear president. he's said it very, very many times in his inaugural addresses, the in campaign speeches leading up to each the presidency. he's so much into symbolism.

that's what this is. this is a symbolic gesture demonstrating his opposition to nuclear weapons. and that concerns a gate number of people, particularly those in asia. related to that is the second thing to keep in mind, and that is an extremely destructive war was fought in asia and conditions in asia who were subjugated by japan were millions and millions were killed by the japanese directly, particularly in china, and in other countries indirectly because of the war have long, long memories and they're not very happy about the president of the united states making this trip and making this symbolic gesture in hiroshima because, after all, it was dropping the bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki that ended the war in the pacific and brought an end to the difficulties that these other countries -- these other countries had to go through.

so there's -- there's some trouble about the president's going to hiroshima. >> absolutely. and we've, you know, heard this as we talked about, the trip in and all the discussion leading up to what we're seeing today. i want to bring in gordon wroun, author of a nuclear showdown -- i'm sorry, gordon chang, the book nuclear showdown which talks about the book something colonel jack jacobs was discussing there. that is the president's view when it comes to nuclear bombs, when it comes to having nuclear weapons around the world. he's really an opponent of that. he's wanting to show that we can live in peace and security without the use of that. this is something that will propel that message. but for those who look at this with a critical eye, many people watching and have vivid memories of what happened in japan don't really like the thought of a u.s. president being there.

he is, indeed, the first. so tell us why other presidents haven't been there in the past. >> other presidents haven't been there because it is so controversial. so president obama's move to hiroshima is, really, the definition of bold diplomacy. what he's doing is he's setting the narrative in asia. for far too long, the chinese have driven events with provocative actions and we've been merely reacting. so what the president is now doing is proposing an agenda of reconciliation of going forward. of course, many people will not like this. but on balance, the region will go along with this because they understand the need for u.s. leadership at a critical time when china is challenging many countries, including japan. >> you know, it's interesting, though. if you look at it and compare it, we're talking about people looking at this situation and saying, you know what? it is a bit of an apology tour, although the white house says it indeed is absolutely not by any means. but at the same time, the you're not want to go progress nuclear

weapons, you're wanting to cut back on that and make sure we can live in peace without it, earlier this week in vietnam web dropped the arms embargo with vietnam, another way in which we waged war. so in a way, it's like you're sending double messages? >> well, no. i think the united states stands firm in asia. you know, obviously, we ended the arms embargo because we want the vietnamese to work more closely with us because the vietnamese, of course, are pressured by the chinese. and so is japan. so, you know, i think that, really, the region is looking at this as a reassertion of washington's initiatives. and that's going to be generally viewed as a good thing. and, you know, with regard to the japanese people, you know, some of them want an apology. many of them, though, don't expect it. and just the president going to hiroshima really says that the united states is standsing with japan. and i think that is the dominant message that will come out of the visit. >> is that the dominant message or is the message china, we are

making sure others around are equipped to make sure you stay in check sthp. >> well, of course, it's beth. but the most important way is how you communicate that and the president's going to gentleman an, not only for the g7 meeting, which is really important because of some of the economic issues is that divide the western democracies, but, you know, it's important for him to go there to show the japanese that the united states is their friend and will defend them. after all, we have the mutual defense treaty with tokyo. it is now going to be called on as the chinese want parts of japan. this is an important time for them. >> i want to bring in colonel jack jacobs. the president is going to speak with the marines there. we saw pictures earlier of all the marines lined up waiting to hear the president speak. how big of a deal is this for them? >> yeah. it's a very big deal for them. you know, for any troop to be with the commander in chief is a very big deal.

most soldiers, sailors, airmen and mreensz never get an opportunity to be around high ranking officers, let alone somebody from the national command authority. and it's important that the people in the national command authority president of the united states, the vice president, secretary of defense, and so on, make.an effort frmt to from time to time to visit troops, and they do. the lines of communication have to we open. the troops have to know that the people in washington are concerned about what they are doing and know what they're doing. it's a very big deal for them and you'll -- if they have the -- the troops have an opportunity to do so, they're going to be taking as many pictures as they possibly can with the president. and i remember just a few years ago when the president came to west point to give an address and he got mobbed by the cadets,

all of whom -- no matter what their politics are, all of whom wanted to have their pictures taken with the commander in chief. >> colonel, it's the day in age of social media. everyone wants a selfie, especially if you can get one with the president, right? >> yeah, exactly. >> so when we look at this, it seems like we saw a little earlier secretary of state john kerry make a similar trip. was that, in a way, testing the waters with this? >> yeah, i think it was. it's a very fine line that has to be walked here. we can't forget about the fact that the -- that the pacific is -- nations there are very much concerned about china's expansionism. when china is internally strong, they expand. when it's internally weak, it contracts. we shouldn't forget the fact that vietnam itself in the '70s fought a war against the chinese and beat them. but the '70s is not now. this is 40 some odd years later

and the chinese are extremely strong now. all of the nations in asia are very much concerned about chinese expansionism and as it was discussed, none so much as the japanese. very seriously considering that the constitution that they have at the moment is not suitable for their ability to defend themselves. so secretary of state going to -- going to the region was definitely testing the waters to see what the response would be. and the response was generally very, very positive. i think the president's going here will reinforce the american commitment. you know, a couple of years ago, the president said that we were pivoting towards asia. well, it's one thing to say it. it's something else, again, to actually do it. this is years later and finally we are demonstrating that we may, in fact, be pivoting towards asia. and a --