let's bring in the author of the book "a world in disarray" richard haas. we have contributing editor of the weekly standing and columnist john pedoritz, also author of "freedom is an inside job," zane absalbe and editor for "the washington post," david ignatius. david, i just -- it is hard to square up what the cia has concluded, what our intel community has concluded, what the world community has concluded, what our allies have concluded and what donald trump said yesterday. how do we square it and how do we move forward as a country trying to on be the leader of the free world? >> this was in very unpresidential style, almost a chat or a shout that you have from the president with a tape recorder running. it gain by saying america fist with an ex cha magz poiclamatio. and the subtext for me was values last. the president put aside the judgment of the cia that the crown print of saudi arabia was likely responsible for the killing of my colleague and friend, jamal khashoggi, and trump said maybe he knew and maybe he didn't, but the implication was he didn'

i have the president of the council on foreign relations, richard haas. an strategist and msnbc legal analyst depursio. political analyst eugene robinson and times reporter richard schmidt. as we look in that large room where the president will sit in just a moment, what are you looking for in the next couple of days? obviously in the background is the news of michael cohen and another plea deal providing new information to the special counsel's office about the activities of the trump campaign in 2016. what do you view as you sit here? >> nafta is not the centerpiece. i want to look at how the world sees and shakes hands with mohammed bin salman. second of all, i want to see how they deal with putin given everything we're talking about, but also if there is a european front to penalize the russians for the latest aggression in ukraine. and what's going on in china, they can't solve the labor dispute but can they have something of a truce? will the president not go through with the next round of sanctions, will the chinese accept gas. if that happens, you'

richard haas here to read the tea leaves. >>> know how magicians pull a rabbit out of a hat? how about pulling water out of thin air? it is happening in these machines but here's the real trick. it's created by israelis but being made right here in america. we introduce you first to watergen and its award winning technology that might be able to solve water shortages from michigan to mogadishu. they are in the u.s. and hiring hundreds. ge stock is gapping down right now at an alarming pace. and the stocks you should scoop up as the bears take a firmer grip on oil. less than an hour to the closing bell. let's start the "countdown." liz: at this time yesterday we told you about the golden state fighting multiple wildfires raging. it's gotten worse at this hour. utility owners pg & e and edison international falling as about 25,000 homes and businesses are without power. in northern california's butte county the fire spread to nearly 110 square miles. the sheriff says five people have now died as flames consume their vehicles, as they tried to escape. ventura county, southern ca

bush white house elise jordan, richard haas and reporter for "the washington post." and the first ever to represent the state of new jersey. the updated count in california's 39th district shows the lead of korean american republican young kim has shrunk to just 122 votes over democrat gil cisneros. katie porter is nearly 4,000 votes ahead of mimi walters. but in an interview with nbc news this morning, vice president mike pence says he thought the democrats failed to make sizable gains. >> we made history by expanding our majority in the senate. we won some great elections in governor's offices around the country, and we didn't really see that blue wave in the house of representatives come our way. i think it's because the american people see the results. >> but those results tell a much different story. the democrats gaining at least now 34 house seats with seven still undecided along with flipping seven governor's mansions, 336 state legislative seats for a total of 380 in the trump era and multiple state house chambers. joe, if you look at just orange county, for