. >> kim jong-un has total control. >> americans should be afraid of kim jong-un. he is a very credible thread t the security of the american people. >> a terrifying war of words. >> rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself. >> between a brash american president and a reclusive north korean ruler. >> translator: the u.s. main lamainland is in the range of our strike. >> we will have no choice but to totally destroy north korea. >> he may have 20 nuclear weapons, missiles that eventually might hit the united states. >> he sees having nuclear weapons as essential to his survival. >> after seven decades in near isolation, is the country's leader, kim jong-un, changing the global game for north korea? >> for the first time, the leader of north korea stepped into south korea. >> one of the first things he has done is make himself a more acceptable figure on the international stage. >> kim jong-un does something which nobody expects. he again changes the balance of this regime. >> as the historic summit between president donald trump and kim jong-un nears, what wil

is that really something kim jong un will accept? accept inspectors inside his country to verify the destruction of nuclear weapons? we're a long way from there right now, but the president is convinced that they made a start ge t cdrl down on how inspector would verify. i think we're going to have to wait and hear how that plays out. in the meantime the president also told you that the country loves kim jong un, that his country loves him, that there's a fevor there for him. but as you know, in the days and weeks to come the president's going to be asked about human rights inside that country and the fact there's so much propaganda the people of north korea are forced essentially into loving their leader. >> that's a turnaround from what the president had said in the past. he said in his own state of the union where he talked about kim starving his own people. that's what we were getting at right there. those are going to be the kind of questions the president faces coming out of this. is kim someone you really can trust? is he real

just watching to see if kim jong—un's they are rising. it ten minutes behind donald trump. really, this is the main event starting at 9am when they get to sit down face—to—face. all observers have been saying this is something fairly unprecedented because this is not the way diplomacy normally works. normally you would have months and months of behind the scenes negotiations to draw up an agreement and then finally two leaders would come together basically just to finally two leaders would come together basicallyjust to sign off on it. what we have today is something fascinating. we have to very unusual leaders not really, with donald trump, not really a politician, a property mogul, who believes he is good at negotiating with people face—to—face and striking it. —— two. that is essentially what donald trump said he is going to do so big —— a deal. he said he would sit with donald trump and size him up in a few seconds and then decide whether this isa seconds and then decide whether this is a person he can do business with not. it is inter

>> do you now see kim jong-un as an equal? >> in what way? >> you just showed a video that showed you and kim jong-un on equal footing and discussing the future. >> no, i think i don't view it that way. i don't view it that way. i'll do whatever it takes to make the world a safer place. if i have to say i'm sitting on a stage, i mean, i understand what you're getting at. if i have to say i'm sitting on a stage with chairman kim and that's going to get us to save 30 million lives, maybe more than that, i'm willing to sit on the stage. i'm willing to travel to singapore, very proudly, very gladly. again, other than the fact that it is taking my time, they have given up a tremendous amount. they've given it up even before, and even add the olympics to it. you can add the olympics to the question. they went to the olympics. they took an olympics, it was going to be a massive failure, maybe wouldn't have even opened, and made it a tremendous success by agreeing to participate. add that to the list of things they've done. brian, if i can save milli

president lincoln, meet kim jong-un. >> anybody said we'd be sitting here today talking about kim jong-un sitting down with president donald trump. >> he's like a maniac. >> you would have thought we were insane. >> in just months, we have gone from schoolyard taunts. >> he's a sick puppy. >> to the hair raising rhetoric of war. >> they will be met with fire and fury. >> to a history-making moment. >> trump's groundbreaking summit with kim jong-un. >> i think it's going to be a very big success. >> the stakes could not be higher. >> read the twitter feed. follow it increasingly closely. >> kim jong-un knows and has read "the art of the deal." >> but donald trump wrote the book. >> this is the ultimate deal. >> great danger on the downside. but if he could pull it off there's tremendous reward on the upside. >> danger. from a violent dictator. >> his own uncle killed by a firing squad. >> they're not crazy. they're brutal. >> but now, a new face of kim jong-un. >> all of a sudden he is literally toasting with the most powerful leaders in the world. >> this is north korea? >> kim jong-un at

>> kim jong-un took power when his father died. from the beginning it was clear he was a different kind of north korean leader. he was more visible. he spoke in public. early on in his tenure, he talked about the north korean people not having to continually tighten their belts. he switched from his father's policy with so-called military first line to a policy promoting both economic development and accelerating the country's nuclear program. layear, with the slew of missile tests and nuclear tests, the north koreans essentially achieved what they'd been looking for in terms of the missile and nuclear program, which is the ability in their minds to deter the united states which they always have viewed as a threat. and once he did that, then it was kim who shifted gears. i don't agree it's the pressure from the u.s. who played the central role. i think the north koreans achieved what they wanted, and he is tryg to shift gears and have a better relationship with the united states. the question is whether he is willing to give up his

in the one-on-one remember donald trump said he will be sizing up kim jong-un but kim jong-un is alsozing up donald trump and kim is going to be assessing whether president trump is serious about this being a one shot deal or if a credible military threat is on the table. if kim doesn't think diplomacy has a sunset i think this is a massive stafg failure given what we think is full hours. i can't think of conversation president trump has had for any foreign leader. >> i remember leading talking about in a meeting he had with her was very well versed in the nuclear policy and was able to answer some very intricate nuclear details without having to go to aides. it's going to interesting to see how well-versed kim jong-un is if this meeting goes on and it is time to get into specifics. it's not clear that president trump is really that sort of a leader. he tends to set himself up as being much more about big picture. >> north korea's nuclear program is much more advanced. we are talking about a nuclear complex and nuclear weapons as well as technology that goes into this program. donald

we know to some degree what kim jong un is looking for. is he looking for econo guarantees u is he looking for security guarantees. he would like to see an end to the korean war and isolation of the united states. unless is he prepared to give it all up. in a way that can be verified, sean, is he not going to get much from this president. >> i don't think there is any doubt about it. john roberts checking back in with you throughout the hour tonight in singapore. here in washington we have counsel to the president. kellyanne conway is with us. kellyanne, i think john roberts summed it up right. the complete, verifiable irreversible denuclearization of the korean peninsula on top of what has already happened which we can officially say is historic. that is by the way we are watching kim jong un and the president, let's watch this. as they meet shaking hands. history in the making. >> sean: that was the photo op. we are expecting in about -- let's listen in. [inaudible] >> what do you hope to accomplish, sir? >> sean: the media is now shouti

now, a new face of kim jong-un. all of a sudden he is toasting with the most powerful leaders of the world. this is north korea? >> kim jong-un at the water park, on the roller coasters wl his beautiful wife. one thing never changed. >> they always wanted the nuclear weapons. >> how much does donald trump really know? >> he is a smart cookie. >> about the man he made a deal with. >> incredible uncertainty. if you wait you die. >> consequences for the next 60, 70, hundreds of years. >> good evening, i'm faree fareed, zakaria. i want to show you a video. one that tells you the story of north korea. this is our planet seen from the space station. that area is south korea, a blaze with light and life. this black hole, looks like water, is north korea. it is a country so impoverished and backwards it seems to be from another century. the economy of south korea is 36 times larger than that of the north yet somehow, the north korean leader commands the center of the world stage. this is the story of kim jong-un, his past,

it matters especially to kim jong-un. remember, he is doing something here, his father, and his grandfather, the founder of north korea could not do, could not get, a meeting with an american president. all they've ever wanted was that meeting. all they've ever craved from the united states was respect. so, it could be going back to your initial question that kim jong-un wants to build himself up and the way he looks and the 12 bodyguards running beside his limousine, in all of that, as an equal leader. equal with donald trump. >> bill neely, thank you so much for that. do stand by. we'll get back to you later. >> we sure thewill. let's get to nbc's lester holt. lester, long way from singapore. you were on the ground in south korea, that was in april last year. you were on the ground in north korea in january of this year. so, you know the environment. you've -- you've felt it yourself. talk about the importance of what is happening. and how this feels for the people there, the kind of response you got to what could poten

who is kim jong-un?is the third kim of the kim regime, replacing his father in 2011, kim jong-un has shown to be a pretty brutal dictator of sorts. he recently just in the past couple years assassinated his brother, and he's known to remove high level assistants in a very nonsubtle way in order to establish his power, as you could say, in north korea. he's continued to take north korea down a path of belligerent goals, developing nuclear capabilities, and, you know, it's interesting to see now how things are developing, though. pete: riley, i'm going to attempt to ask a nuanced question here. i don't know if it will work or not. but is this a guy who relishes the ruthlessness, who wants to lock people up and kill them, or a guy who has inherited his throne and done what is necessary to keep his power but is looking for an off ramp? >> he might not be as ruthless as we think. it is a nuanced question so it requires a nuanced answer. he tests trump, they continue to test chemical and biological warfare wea

kim jong-un had just inherited the cruelest, most repressive dictatorship on earth. s father kim jong-il was dead from a heart attack. in icy pyongyang, tens of thousands lined the streets. for many mourners, it was a chance to catch a glimpse of their new leader. >> people believed he's too young. he's too inexperienced. >> there were real fears that kim jong-un still in his 20s was not up to the job. >> he looked like a boy. there he is sobbing over his father's casket. >> some doubted that he could ever command the kind of cult-like worship his grandfather and his father inspired. a reaction like this. >> i don't want to say it's insincere but let's say the enthusiasm's over the top. these people are going to be on north korean television. >> it's the questione so often ask about north korea. is this real? or is it pronda? watch again. as the camera moves down the line of mourners, most seem to react only when the camera reaches them. this godfather-like drama ran for days on north korean television. it became propaganda. it is the life blood of north korea. and on

kim jong-un to president trump as conveyed by the translator, here's the quote, many people -- he's talking to president trump -- many people in the world will think of this as -- and it's un audible. form of fantasy from a science fiction movie. john? >> you know, i find that reference to a science fiction movie so fascinating because this is kim jong-un, who is the son of a film buff and an actress. his wife is an entertainer and his sister is a propaganda. he's talking to a reality t.v. star, turned u.s. president. i think it's such an appropriate way to craft that kind of statement to president trump. so, as aal kirby said, i think a lot of people are optimistic but we have to take all of this with a grain of salt and remember that kim juong-un n many ways are like his father and north korea does have a way of using charm offensive to try to reduce tensions. >> so, phil, what we're getting from inside the meetings, it's un audible or unclear and imagine with interpreters in the room, right. that i have met for 48 minutes. president kim was in a room alone only with interpreters, there i

president is saying kim jong-un will be invited to the white house. >> there's no question that kim jong-uns a bad guy and he's committed atrocities that are unfoble. we've been running, what? nuclear drills in guam and other places because past administrations have been kicking the can down the road and not dealing with this giant issue. this is the issue. >> what does it say about american values and other dictatordic dictators around the world. >> the issue is, you've got a u.s. citizen, otto warmbier, who came back blind, deaf -- a year ago today, and essentially murdered. and now, his parents are suing north korea. not one word from donald trump. the fact of the matter is, kim jong-un has not just done this to americans. he's done this to his half-brother. >> he doesn't want to kill the deal over something while he's focusing on the big target right now. >> it's a function of tone, though. eling with a cold-blooded murderer. >> we were arguing about his tone and now look where we are. >> let's go back a decade or so. the idea of a u.s. president and holding a summit with a dictator lik

-- kim jong-un?er: for kim jong-un, i think he already has achieved his minimum level of success, which is having this meeting. need toed states, we get some kind of clear commitment to denuclearization that could be the basis for follow-on negotiations. no one expected to solve all of our problems in one meeting. the president scaled down his expectations wisely. we don't have anything even close to a commitment to denuclearization and some kind of commitment that there will be verification and full cooperation with the international community. worried, because follow-on negotiations will have toset rule and will be back square one. ramy: with regards to kim been veryhis has all structured. each man comes with their own contingent. last night, we saw that selfie he took with the singaporean foreign minister, walking around littering, dazzling metropolis. do you think his exposure to the realm,tional sphere, might change his mind in some way that might have been unexpected before saying, you know wha

here is kim jong-un.s is only the third time he has left north korea as a leader on the international stage, trying to present this image of himself as a statesman. he has taken a leaf out of the books of western leaders, the u.s. even to see these bodyguards running alongside who according to some reports are even chosen for their looks and certainly for their skills with marksmanship and martial arts. and it has created quite a spectacle. in fact, that has been one of the aspects of this singapore summit that has gone viral. john? >> and not to be a parrot, but it's actually his fourth time because he briefly went into south korea in april to meet with the south korean president. but, you know, small point. thanks, manisha. let's head back now to anna coren who is in seoul, south korea. anna? >> no one is counting, john, no one. thank you, john. joining us now to discuss further denuclearization on the korean peninsula is paul carroll. he is a senior adviser for in scare that is an organization that tri

but kim jong-un did smile broadly as they were walking off and kim jong-un has had the old hug and arm tug when he was with president moon jae-in. secretary of state pompeo said yesterday, for all the talks, for all the hopes, for everything, nobody can make the decisions except for the two people that will be in that room together and those are those two people. you have to remember that just a few months ago, it was all talk of war and bluster and fire and fury and destruction. and kim turned on a dime with his new year's speech. he sent his delegation to south korea. he sent his sister for what is called the peace olympics. and so he has actually been almost in the driving seat from the beginning and talk is better than war. what did churchill say? >> you spent a lot of time meeting with north koreans over many years, what do you think is going to take place, how impot is this face to face in private? >> i think it is very important. and the day, the way they met -- >> let's listen in. >> mr. president, how do you feel -- >> i feel really great. going to have a great reception. and

negotiated this meeting to have this potentially historic sit-down between president trump and kim jong-un here in singapore. certainly one of the few times that sing jong unhas traveled this far since he got to power and certainly the furtherest he has traveled since taking over and a meeting they will discuss logistics and what not and president trump will meeting with the prime minister of singapore tomorrow. a formality since singapore is hosting this historic summit that is happening. we are here and too late to back out now for either leads. president trump will be here in more than two hours and we are getting closer to a day and a meeting a lot of people were not expecting to happen. something that president trump, when he was in canada at the g7 said that kim jong-un essentially has a onetime shot for his country here. also noted something that raised a few eyebrows. he said he thinks he'll be able to tell within the first minute of sitting down with the north korean dictator whether he is committed to denuclearization and raised a lot of eyebrows how can you tell something like t

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and we know kim jong-un is aware of it.nis rodman says he presented the book "the art of the deal" to a government official in north korea last year, so via lonnis rodman kim may have gotten a look inside the trump play book in advance. here's bianna golodryga. >> reporter: the singapore summit isn't exactly "thrilla in manila" but it's close, both in suoximity and buildup. so who will walk away with the better deal? while little is known of kim jong-un, in just seven years, the 30-something dictator has done what his father and grandfather before him couldn't g , rapidly advance its nuclear program, and now the ultimate niat, a meeting with the president of the united states. >> i think within the first minute i'll know. >> how? >> just my touch, my feel. >> reporter: the summit, reportedly a one-on-one meeting, is exactly where trump feels most comfortable. at he hates multilateral meetings. >> reporter: gwenda blair, author of "the trumps: three generations of builders and a president" says winning was ingrained into him

kim jong-un does not have the same level of experience as kim jong-il. do you think he has that level of knowledge about his nuclear program? >>. >> i met the father very briefly, and madeleine albright had a substantive meeting with him. i think the difference between the two is the father, when we negotiated prisoners with his staff,american the father was kind a rug merchant. okay, you want these prisoners back, i want to see president clinton or president carter come and ask for them. he was a trader, he was trading like that. i think kim jong-un is more. i think he has an end game. he's looking at things more broadly, he wasn't settling for foreign assistance handouts, he wants to modernize his economy, infrastructure, energy grid. i think he's achieved what he wants. and that's full military capability with his missiles, his nuclear materials. he feels that now he's gotten what he wants. a world stage presence with the president of the united states, they always would say to me, the north koreans, look, we, the united states and north korea should

he'll know by touch and feel, he says, whether or not this will be a successful one-on-one with kim jong-un, if the two will make progress toward talk. on the other side toward denuclearization and the talks. on the other side for kim jong you c jong-un, this is a win. he's wanted to sit down with the american president. a lot of reward here but a lot of risk, particularly looking at the international climate and where he stands with both friends and frenemies now as well as former foes and current foes like north korea. >> talking about north korea, bill neely, it's been a busy several hours here so far. as we have seen kim jong-un arrive into singapore and then just moments ago i understand he had a meeting with the leader, prime minister lee, there at the presidential palace. >> reporter: yeah, richard, he's been busy and that meeting is still going on. we are in unknown territory right now because almost literally kim has never been here before, but it's the furthest he's ever been outside the bubble of pyongyang. but diplomatically as well, unknown territory was the phrase donald trump

what about kim jong-un? president has spoken very positively about kim jong-un to get him to the table and move these conversations along. but once's sitting down with him as much as he wants a deal, let's not white wash the fact that this is a dictator in kim jong-un who has been brutal on his own people, he has been starving him. >> i don't think he should and i don't think he'll. i am sure the subject of human rights will come out. the issue is what priority should it have? is it more important than getting north korea to agree to denuclearize, to get rid of not only its nuclear weapons and the icbms that can deliver them to san francisco. what is more important? if the president wants to emphasize nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in this initial gathering with kim jong-un, i don't think i would fault him for that. ed: if i interrupt you in a moment, you know we are friends. i'm not trying to be rude to you. we are seeing movement at the palace in singapore where we know the president has b

kim jong—un jong—un, the reaches out for a second handshake.e. the handshake was on for so long. the handshake was on for so long. the eye contact was not for too long. donald trump, being a businessman, he is looking for his eyes. i will begin to see where this goes and what they talk about later. very little eye contact between the two men, very much looking ahead at the people taking the photos. more interested looking straightforward. for me, robert, i wonder if you agree with this assessment, the enormity of this event, perhaps dawning on them now as they look slightly uncomfortable. six months ago it was to card and all the rest of it, six months ago we were talking about nuclear war on the peninsular and this is a rapid turnaround, one of the concerns about the analyst community's opinion, swinging dramatically. a month ago we were talking about donald trump getting a nobel prize and now we're talking about this being a get—to—know—you meeting and the beginning of the processed. it would help us keep our bearings if this proceeded in a s

kim jong-un on his way back home to north korea.president trump today said he formed a very special bond with the dictator. contrast that with the meeting that he attended before coming here to singapore. the g7, where he left really in a fight, a bitter fight with america's closest allies, including canada and the canadian prime minister justin tr trude trudeau. the former canadian ambassador in the united states is joining us and foreign policy adviser to canadian governments. gentlemen, i want to play you the praise that president trump gave kim jong-un today. >> a very worthy, very smart negotiator, absolutely. we had a terrific day and we learned a lot about each other and about our countries. >> what did you learn about him, sir? >> i learned he's a very talented man and i also learned that he loves his country very much. >> he's a talented man that loves his country very much. this comes just days after -- let me play it for you, he had his own advisers larry kudlow and peter navarro say this about justin trudeau. >> stabbed

kim jong un has been there as well since before the president arrived. the president coming from g7, getting into spat with canadian prime minister justin trudeau but now onto bigger and important issues like trying to denuclearize north korea and there's the president from overnight. jillian: he is prepared to walk away if he realizes kim jong un is not there to denuclearize, that's one of the things, denuclearization or nothing basically. rob: yeah, and the president and mr. pompeo as well. secretary of state has indicated that kim jong un knows what the united states means by denuclearize and has shown a willingness to do that which is the first step of progress to make something like this happen, make a deal like this happen, a deal which has been speculated to be a failure from the get-go by a lot of the media and president's opponents saying there's no real shot of making anything happened. jillian: you mentioned the g7 coverage, you mentioned onto bigger and better things now and that's, of course, what we are waiting, over the weekend president t

my guess is that kim jong un data.w that when the president retracted the agreement to make this meeting, and kim jong un came back with consolatory. >> there's nothing bellicose about that, they blinked. maybe kim jong un was selling his own and tell guys that he's doing a great job of assessing the options. >> we will have details about this document. the president is going to be speaking about this historic summit, 4:00 a.m. eastern. when we come back, we will have a lot more details and talking about that coming up. >> ed: this is a fox news alert, this is in singapore. we have breaking details about this document that was signed by president trump and kim jong un. the document now spells out that he commits to quote complete denuclearization of the peninsula. president trump, the document says, committed to providing security guarantee as to the dprk and chairman kim jong un reconfirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the korean peninsula. so you will have critics coming out sayi

four hours before the meeting between kim jong-un and trump. they will only be joined by interpreters. the stakes are enormous and seeking the elimination of the clear ogram and even as he meets with a bitter foe, the reverberation after the closest allies of the g-7 summit and i'll speak with mike mccaul and our correspondents and specialists are all standing by with full coverage. let's begin with the breakingne. kaitlin colins is joining us live from singapore. both sides are project a sense of readiness for this historic summit. >> reporter: well, wolf, publicly they are both expressing confidence but behind the scenes there is a bit of a scramble and a schedule change. president trump is now scheduled to depart singapore less than 12 hours after the first sit down and we're told that comes after the president learned that kim jong-un will also be departing singapore in the hours after they are first scheduled to sit down with each other. of course that is something that is subject to change because this is a schedule that is just about as

he was talking about his special bond with kim jong-un.lked about how they were sort of intent -- that together they could make history. and i think what you saw coming out of this was a president trying to say, this is great, this is amazing, but what you had in fact was something that was incomplete and unverifiable and you had confusion. you had confusion on capitol hill about what this really meant, you had confusion about whether we were in fact going to stop exercises or so-called war games. you saw the vice president trying to talk to senate republicans and the republicans leaving confused about what would actually occur. so while the president may have tried to down play it before, after the session was over he was saying this is fabulous and we're going to -- t something great and everybody else is left scratching their heads. >> sabrina, what do you make of the optics of the summit. they spent five hours together and they seem to be -- at least from the outside, pretty friendly. >> there is a greet deal of camaraderie but one of

kim jong-un had a good summit. at the end of the day he went from international pariah, scorned by the world, multilateral sanctions including those of the united nations, to being seen as an equal, meeting with the president of the united states, the leader of the free world on equal footing. the president used words like it was an honor to meet him and talked about how he cared about and it is well documented that tens of thousands in north korean prisons when tens of thousands of others are starving and when kim jong-un has used assassination to keep himself in power. nor is neither honorable it someone who loves his people. at a time that we need to , already china has a summit about seeking relief for north korea at the united nations. the begins to unravel essence of maximum pressure which you need especially in light that you have achieved nothing tangible as a result of the summit. marvel to see a president who chastises leaders that have been part of a coalition whose sons and daughters have died alongside

of course that's our primary litmus test for can we trust kim jong—un and is our primary litmus test tant to stand in north korea's shoes, kim's choose, and understand what's in it for him because obviously he has no interest in denuclearisation —— kim's shoes. why has he come this far? you've been discussing elements in the a nswer been discussing elements in the answer but it has to do with kim wanting a different relationship with the us and he wants north korea to have a different relationship in the region. we have to tease out that possibility even as we work towards having him give up his nukes. john, while you were talking we we re nukes. john, while you were talking we were seeing nukes. john, while you were talking we were seeing some nukes. john, while you were talking we were seeing some of those live pictures of donald trump arriving at the istana. pictures of donald trump arriving at the ista na. we pictures of donald trump arriving at the istana. we will bring you those stories and the latest pictures and video. kim jong—un has stories and the latest pictures and video.

kim jong-un. his official birth date has never been confirmed. his grandfather was north korea's founder known as the great leader. his father kim jong il power when his grandfather died. known for his dress, right down to his platform shoes, and his pursuit of nuclear weapons. when his father died of a heart attack at 70 from what the north koreans said was over work, it was his youngest son kim jong-un who would take over. kim jong-un has proven to be ruthless. he has tested more missiles than his father and grandfather combined. he's conducted four nuclear tests. just last september he tested what was believed to be a hydrogen bomb. much larger than the bomb dropped on hiroshima. known to the north koreans as the supreme leader the world got its first glimpse of kim jong-un at his father's funeral in 2011. he was one of the pallbearers walking alongs casket, crying at his father's wake. it is said that his father loved his fearlessness shown when he was just a boy. as north korea's leader he has demonstrated he's willing to kill to keep his pow

we don't even have a commitment, i don't think, by kim jong-un that north korea will really un laterally dismantle all of their nuclear weapons program. >> alesion, touch on the propaganda piece of this. >> north koras made the bet this was going to be successful and look good for them because typically north korean media waits a couple days after summits to then show images and report on what happened. in this summit's case, north korean media has already shown images of the singapore walk about, the singapore sightseeing that happened last night. it seems to be taking that risk and betting that it would play well for them. >> u.s. officials that were involved in the planning for this tell us that throughout the run-up to this, north korean officials were very set on maintaining parody between what the u.s. had and the north koreans had. >> equal flags. >> five security guys here, five on this side. that shows you how they want to make it look like president trump and kim jong-un were equal. >> president trump dodged that question when asked specific will if he believed he and kim jong-

theinal countdown as president trump and kim jong-un meet face-to-face. auclear summit unlike anything we've ever seen has arrived. the american president and the north korean dictator in the same room, and it's a long way from this -- >> rocket man should have been handled a long tim ago. they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. >> will north korea agree to give up its nukes? and what will president trump promise in return? >>> also tonight, a dramatic hostage soff back home. a police officer shot, an armed man holding four small kids. >> we are urging him to release those children. >> our team is there. >>> a mystery solved. the air force captain with access to america's top secrets who vanished without a trace found 35 years later living a double life. >>> a massive explosion levels a home, blowing apart a neighborhood. investigators combing for clues. >>> and urgent new evacuations ordered as a major wildfire gets way too close to homes. >> announcer: this is ""nb nightly news" with lester holt." >>> good evening as singapore

thank you. >> again tlafs kim jong un. we heard very little from in the past in north korea the headlines the pictures of him walking around the city. greeted like a celebrity. and jeff, you note he thanked president trump. he is thanking him because he got what he wanted. again in this document that they signed, no mention of complete verifiable irreversible denuclearization. which is something until a week or two ago we had been told was key. >> there was a series of moving the goal post. the president said that's what he was going to stand for. then it was a meet and greet. it was more. we look back this will either be a moment in time that changes history. as he looks around this futuristic city. you wonder what he thinks. does he think that pyong could be lik this. this could be an economic center. or hold onto nuclear weapons. he probably cannot do both. he also said one thing slightly before that clip. it's not b easy to come to this point. for us the past has been holding us back. old practices and prejudice have b

and now the right hand person for kim jong un. we knew that he was carrying a letter, and now, we can officially report that the two men will be meeting. this is huge history that is being made right now. high officials for the first time in decades our meeting with top officials and our government. we are covering it all coming forward. it will come back to you outside the white house as well. i want to bring in my first guest, republican congressman joe wilkinson. he sits on the armed services committee. and mr. wilson is one of the few members of congress who have been to north korea. great to have your perspective today. i just want to let you know we are going to keep up the life picture, congressman. and we could be breaking news together. first of all, what do you think of the letter? >> well, i think it is very significant because we are waiting on the delivery of the letter today. it was only a year ago that north korea threatened a delivery of a nuclear weapon to vaporize the people of guam. the american citizens represe

i do think kim jong-un gave up nothing. what we need to do think is follow-through with major steps, immediate momentum, get pompeo to meet with him, set up working groups on denuclearization, on missile tests, human rights. i wish we raise human rights more strongly. we just kind of mentioned it. i am pleased, shep. i've been a very strong advocate of getting the remains of our soldiers back. i brought seven back in the bush administration. there's 5,000. a lot of families that want those remains back. i think that's a possible area of cooperation that the president mentioned and maybe kim jong-un is going to restart with the president. you know, very short on specifics. on substance and follow-through, timelines and verification. >> shep: from the people we talked to or in the know about north korea, sue mi terry, gordon chang, people like this, what we've been hearing now for years is that his regime is shaky because his people don't have any food. because so many people's families are locked up in gulags all over the co

this hotel behind me, st regis hotel, were kim jong—un is staying with his delegation, it costs thousandsenefiting from the summit. last night when kimjong—un went on a night tour with some of the ministers, that was all over the news. as you mentioned, opinions are split about whether kim jong—un should be treated like a celebrity. he received a very warm welcome as he visited some of the iconic tourist spots behind you like marina bay sands. some people were even cheering and one person even screamed "i love you." this is a man who won for five years ago is accused of killing his own brother and his own uncle. if you like some of horrific stories you hear from north korean defectors, the records are very horrible. the question about this historic summit between president trump and kim jong—un is whether president trump would bring up whether president trump would bring up human rights abusestrump said he would, by it appears appears he may not. as we said, both sides have every desire to have something happen. as laura bicker was treating last night, whatever happens at summit, kimjong—

kim jong-un had a good summit. at the end of the day, he went from international pariah scorned by the world with multilateral sanctions including those at the united nations to being seen as an equal meeting with the president of the united states, the leader of the free world on an equal footing. the president used words like it was an honor to meet him and talked about how he cared about his people when it is well documented that tens of thousands sit in north korean prisons when tens of thousands others are starving, and when kim jong-un has used assassination to keep himself in power. that is neither honorable nor is it someone who loves his people. and at a time that we need to continues to exert our maximum pressure, already china as a result of the summit and what went on is talking about seeking relief for north korea at the united nations. that begins to unravel the essence of maximum pressure which you need especially in light that you have achieved nothing tangible as a result of the summit. so we -- i

kim jong un has already gained. now by prutch just agreeing to sit down with him, we have given him the -- so north korea is actually much better off today than it was just even a few months ago in november, olast now, in terms of what to expect frhe summit and what a successful outcome will look like, i agree withuyeon completely. whatever we see, they're both going to spin it as a success. i don see them -- the summit failing to the degree that will be some drama and kim jong un walking out or president trump walking out. they have invested in spinning this summit as some sort of success. but he's set himself a high bar. he called the iran deal worse than ever, insane, an embarrassment. when you look at the iran deal, they all agreed to give up some 97% of their nuclear material. they already shut down thousands of centrifuges. they acceptedrict limitations on their nuclear program for 10 to 15 years. now having called that deal insane, that means whatever deal we have with north korea has to be permanent, right?

but he's positioned himself right now better than the fall and winter of 2017 the. >> i believe kim jong-un-- [inaudible] talking about denuclearization, that is a mere utterance or extension from prohibited activities, activities prohibited by over 10 un security council resolutions, so to say i will hold off on missiles a nuclear tests and the wind then dined for that statement is absurd. this image makeover has limitations. over the past several months by making gestures meaningless gestures like decommissioning the underground nuclear site, by releasing three us detainees who should have never been the tate in the first place and by coming out of his shell. he has not only transformed himself from an international pariah, but he's basically reshaped the geopolitical page on which he is now being courted by the leaders of the biggest powers in the world and this trend, i think, will continue. i don't take the view that south koreans are better negotiators and americans-- >> he corrected. >> okay. >> whether it's north korean negotiators or us negotiators are bad i would define it more as

kim jong-un has played it very well. ofer seven years accelerating toward the nuclear ,rogram, he stops right before he didn't go all the way. he quits right before and says he has completed the program. they do you see him engaging about the summit and diplomacy. he had a complete image makeover already. he got to meet with xi jinping twice. now he does appear like a normal person of a normal country. he had all of this makeover. then i am concerned that this maximum pressure is already hard to achieve. we are hearing reports of china not really implementg sanctions. there are reports about north korean seafood surfacing on the border area of china. about transferts of fuel, i am concerned that there is a relaxation. them wererobably s from china russia and south korea. regardless of how this meeting goes with trump, there is already some activity that will be in violations of u.n. sanctions and there will be more activity toward that front. north korea already has gains. that president trump has agreed to sit down with

you've seen pictures of kim jong-un surrounded by bodyguards today.l, back then he would walk to school without bodyguards. he was really into basketball. he would listen to music on an mp3 player. and this, i think, is important. even then, though, they were not completely sure about aspects of his identity. >> the name was un park. un park and we called him un and he started school here in the seventh class. he was about 14 years old. but his age was always a little bit part of a discussion because it was not really sure if maybe he's one, two, three years older. >> reporter: you were not even certain how old he was? >> not exactly, yes. >> reporter: was there anything unusual? did he have security? >> no, no. i never saw a bodyguard or something like this. he came to school by foot. really, he was a boy a teenager from next door. never saw something special. recognized something special. >> reporter: he would walk to school every day? >> yep. yeah. he didn't come by rocker something like this. no. like any other. >> and he talks about kim jong-un t

>> kim jong un is doing a throwback to his grandfather, very much revered to this day even by refugees. one of the greatest people who's ever lived, they think. when kim jong il took over, he launched a campaign called let's eat two meals a day instead of three. even his clothing is a throwback. i have the same suit kim jong un is wearing. i got in north korea. optics are a function of the regime. anything he can do to challenge his grandfather's energy, and by law, only a descendant of the great leader can be the north korean leader which another reasons why he had his older brother assassinated. you have to stick with what you have. >> laura: victor davis hanson come on madeleine albright was there in 2000, she made a quick pilgrimage to the memorial for kim jong un's grandfather. that's a great leader, that's how they refer to him. do you mind commenting on the china-russia concern in the deal, any deal that might come out of this. >> russia hasn't had any international quote since it squirmed into syria when it was invited in by the obama administration. it's going to try to repeat

they say he's third most powerful after kim jong-un and kim jong-un's sister. trace?: benjamin, this trip to the u.s. was put together quickly. what do we know about the details? >> kim young chul is sanctioned by the u.s. they had to wave the sanctions to allow him in. he had to fly in to new york. they weren't sure he was going to make it to d.c. he's been at every major meeting. he was at the olympics. he's the man that gets things done. no doubt he will be there on the sidelines in singapore. trace? >> benjamin hall live for us. another big story today is the economy. the unemployment rate. it's the lowest it has been in 50 years. the dow is reacting. we'll have details from today's big jobs report coming up on a breaking news edition of "shepard smith reporting." how much money do you think you'll need in retirement? then we found out how many years that money would last them. how long do you think we'll keep -- oooooohhh! you stopped! you're gonna leave me back here at year 9? how did this happen? it turned out, a lot of people fell short, of even the average le

president trump face-to-face with kim jong-un. the president set to sit down with the north korean dictator. the first time a sitting u.s. president has ever met with a north korean leader. after months of calling each other names, the president tweeting we'll know what will happen. will kim give up his nuclear weapons? what will he demand in return? >>> also tonight, who is this mysterious dictator? in just moments, he will be thrust onto the world stage beside the president of the united states. but he has been ruthless, ordering the execution of his uncle. it's believed the assignation of his own brother, too, with a nerve agent, captured on surveillance. tonight, from the brutal dictator to the new selfie a short time ago, and the tours here in singapore. >>> back in the u.s., the hurricane now a category three. we are tracking it. and the severe storm threat across several states. possible tornadoes, heavy rain and hail. >>> the hostage standoff. the gunman barricaded with four children inside a home. the officer shot. >>> an

sixth, don't try to be friends with kim jong-un. he killed his uncle, his half-brother and hundreds of others. he is a despot. those people up in canada, by the way, are our friends. and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. msnbc's special coverage of the summit with brian williams and rachel maddow starts right now. >>> two volatile leaders. they have tested each other. >> rocket man should have been handled a long time ago. >> they've taunted each other. >> kim jong-un issued a direct response. i will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged u.s. dotard with fire. >> now, they're moments away from meeting for the first time face-to-face. >> i hope the upcoming meeting in singapore represents a bright new future to the world. >> with the stability of the region and the world on the line -- >> i don't think i have to prepare very much. >> will their summit bring us closer to peace or peril? this is an msnbc special report. the united states/north korea nuclear summit. here now areacow and brian wi >> and good

>> still to come, president trump says he trusts kim jong-un, kim jong-un trusts him. could this gamble back fire? also, it is a lasting image from the g-7 summit, the german chancellor seemingly facing off with president trump, but the president explained this picture in detail this morning, what he says was really going on next. ancestrydna is only $69 for father's day. and with twice the detail of other tests... ...it can show dad where he's from ...and strengthen the bonds you share. give dad ancestrydna for just $69- our lowest father's day price ever. for just $69- i think, keep going, and make a difference. ome point, we are going to be able to beat als. because life is amazing. so i am hoping for a cure. i want this, to uh, to b a reality. um, yeah. it's just a burst pipe, i could fix (laugh) no. with claim rateguard your rates won't go up just beacuase of a claim. i totally could've... (wife) nope! switching to allstate is worth it. captured lightning in a bottle. over 260 years later as the nation's leader in energy storage we're ensuring americans have the e

we view this as a sign of good will from chairman kim jong-un. the united states and north korea have been holding direct talks in preparation for a summit and north korea has confirmed to us its willingness to denuclearize. a comprehensive whole of government effort in support of president trump's upcoming summit is underway. white house and state department led advance teams are finalizing with logistical preparations and will remain in place in singapore until the summit begins. the president is getting daily briefings from his national security team. the fact that our two leaders are coming to the table shows that the two sides are very serious. the diplomatic model we use today is different from past efforts. our efforts give us hope that we can find real success where past efforts have fallen short. president trump is hopeful, but he's also going into the summit with his eyes wide open. we've seen how many inadequate agreements have been struck in the past. you can be sure that president trump will not stand for a bad deal. the united state

and is a favorite of kim jong-un. the he is getting on the train at the airport. i mean, excuse me, getting into the -- getting into a car here at the airport after arriving at singapore's airport. it's only about a 20-minute drive into town. presumably he will not be going to the st. regis hotel and meeting with kim jong-un tonight before the big summit tomorrow. but he's been one of the few team until now, when few westerners or one of few americans have had any time that they spent with this young north korean leader. michael liter joins me now, former director of the national counterterrorism center and ambassador wendy sherman, who served as a member of the.s. negotiating team with north korea. both are msnbc contributors. wendy, you negotiated with kim jong- jong-un's father, kim jong-il, but never had to deal with dennis rodman. >> just watching this, i feel like president trump and kim jong-un are going to be members of "celebrity apprentice." this just feels like a sitcom of some sort as opposed to having the