joining me now, jonathan pollack, senior knell fefellow center for east asia policy at the brookingsnstitution. things are moving here quickly. we have the u.n. security council moving again, though some would argue their moves in june did very little to mitigate some of the actions and activities coming out of north korea. we also have the response coming out of the white house. and then the ballistic missile drill in south korea. what do you make of the ballistic missile drill? >> well, it's -- i'm not surprised by it. i wouldn't want to call it earth shattering. it is just something that you have to demonstrate that you are not utterly undefended in this context. but very frankly, the tests here that have gone on, going back again to yesterday's nuclear test, is no surprise at all. this is exactly what the north koreans have indicated for some length of time that they were going to do. they promised us in january that there would be an icbm test. they've had two. so i don't think anyone should be surprised. the question though is whether because of the scale of the nuclear test, t

. >> jonathan pollack is with the weapons program. >> it's not only a much more powerful weapon but might also be something much more miniaturized so that it would in theory at least be able to fit on the warhead of a long range missile. >> reporter: just before the nuclear test, north korea released these pictures of kim jong-un looking at it. north korea successfully tested two icbms in july. >> this is the highest. he extraordinary extent, far beyond what i would have imagined a year or two ago. >> they will allow the u.s. to install two more thaad rocket launchers. it's part of a missile defense system here in south korea. dana? >> ben, thank you. >>> they're warning north korea of a mass unmilitary response to any major threat. major, good morning. >> good morning. the sense that both nakss are on a collision course is quite unmistakenab unmistakenable. in statement released here at the white house yesterday, president trump said all assets are at his disposal including the vast u.s. nuclear arsenal. north korea's successful test of an alleged hydrogen bomb far more powerful than the

jonathan pollack is an expert on north korea's weapons program. >> it is not only a much more powerful weapon, but it might also be something that is much more miniaturized, in other words so that it would, in theory at least, be able to fit on the warhead of a long-range missile. >> reporter: just before the nuclear test, north korea released these pictures of kim jong-uninspecting what the north claims is a miniaturized hid gynebomb. the regime says it can be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the united states. north korea successful tested two bliicbms in july. >> this is the highest priority for kim jong-un. he is wrapped up in this to an extraordinary extent, far beyond what i would have imagined he would have done a year or two ago. >> reporter: south korea has also announced that it will allow the u.s. to install far more t.h.a.a.d. rocket launchers in south korea. major garrett, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the sense that both nations are on a collision source is quite simply unmistakesable. north korea keeps moving toward a weapon

jonathan capehart for "the washington post" and sarah fagan, also cnbc contributor jeffrey pollack, acratic pollster and muc duhame, a former adviser to governor chris christie. sarah, let me start with you and this white house's inability to tell the president to have a temper tantrum behind closed doors or get a punching bag but not to use the podium to smear and defame jim comey. >> they've had a really good couple of weeks, the white house, given the president with general kelly seems to have started to get out from underneath his own bad press. and here they are again. >> a couple good -- it's funny you see it that way. he's basically burned paul ryan and mitch mcconnell and chosen -- >> well, he's -- >> he's humiliated -- >> the politics -- >> it's relative, right? >> it's relative. that's the right word for it. the politics long term for him aren't good, you're right. but presswise, you know, he's had a good handling of these hurricanes. for the most part. he has cut a deal with the democrats, which most voters like. they like to see republicans and democrats coming together, r