scott thuman brings us up to speed. scott: two hours and 15 minutes, may seem a little long but keep in mind the meeting scheduled for 35 minutes. enough to scratch surface on the complex world crisis. a chorus of cameras snapping away at the sit-down between president trump and vladimir putin. handshake and quick comments an opening salvo. president trump: we look forward to positive things happening. for russia, united states and everybody honor to be with you. >> i'm delighted to meet you personally, mr. president. i hope you said the meeting will yield positive results. >> then behind closed doors without reporters they spoke for more than two hours. secretary of state rex tillerson claims president trump opened by bringing up the alleged election interference by russia. >> something that putin again denied. they exchanged how to handle the war on syria, worldwide cyber attack and the nuclear threat of north korea. acknowledging shared concern and perhaps, tillerson said, not the same sense of urgency in finding a so

scott thuman joining us on the phone. this is another friday and staff departure scott: you are right. colossal development that general john kelly will lead the department of homeland security to take over for reince the writing was on the wall after anthony scaramucci was the communications directionor. they butted head in the palapas it led to the departure of sean spicer. so what it does now is changes the management style of this. based not on what president trump brought in. nancy: what do you think of the timing? scott: to now what may fit his management style more. brash, tough tone. dip than what we have seen so far from reince priebus. nancy: quite the interesting week ahead. what do you think of the timing? they were on air importance one when this news came out. >> it was on air importance one. we looked to see who got off of air force one. peter [out owe interruption] he was talking to reince priebus and said he had no clue that priebus had been fired and was unaware of the development. he said priebus kept a

scott thuman was at the white house with the rapid fire developments. scott: four months ago the speculation started to swirl. >> do you have confidence in jeff sessions? >> total. scott: that was then. this is now. president trump: i'm disappointed in the attorney general. we'll see what happens. time will tell. time will tell. scott: that is after a tweet tirade scolding sessions calling himself weak for recusing himself and not continuing investigation in hillary clinton. >> does the president want him as the attorney general? >> the president expressed disappointment that attorney general jeff sessions recused himself fairly early on in his tenure as the attorney general and the president said many times that russia and the investigation is a hoax. scott: we asked kellyanne conway about increased tension. does he have a future in the administration? >> that is up to the president and jeff sessions. i'm not going to get in front of the president in terms of any personnel decision. scott: the communication director told me it's like a couple who is con

chief political correspondent scott thuman is in the news rom to explain. scott? scott: good question. republican, president trump and the -- remember, president trump and the congress set a hi lightning fast legislation on healthcare. but they are finding there are problems. president trump: i'm in the oval office next door pen in hand waiting to sign something. scott: patience on healthcare or any other hot button issue is a virtue he will need in abundance. despite demands. >> inaction is not an option. >> is it scare to call this is a do-nothing congress? >> they have done relatively little. they have quet to finish work on the big legislative projects, healthcare and tax reform. scott: kicking the can down the road regardless of who is at fault or the motivation is a pastime. in this case, a divided republican party combined with reluctant democrats means promises of day one results like repealing obamacare or tax reform are one party controls the congress the expectations are higher that they should follow through on what they say they will do. scott: not a

abc7 chief political correspondent scott thuman gives us a look. scott: if faye, the pig, looks bored at a capitol hill press conference, there is a reason. it's the release of the annual pig look a look at what is labeled "wasteful spending" out of washington and this group becoming a sad old routine. >> pork barrel spending is alive and well in the nation's capital. scott: for the senator that brought light to the issue, she r easy. >> our nation's debt is approaching $20 trillion. scott: the largest set of the so-called earmarks attached to spending bills relate to defense, the citizen against government waste claims there is $5 million for aquatic plant control program, $6 million for a center in hawaii to promote better relations with pacific and asian nations and $5 million for a grant that in the report worked to retore theaters and opera houses. >> we have a ban on earmarks now. we ought to stick to it. scott: despite the ban there are ways around it. last year the group says there were 123 earmarks. this physical year is up to 163. cost of

our chief political correspondent scott thuman is here. y first question is are you surprised by this? scott: i'm not surprised he quit. i am surprised it was over this issue on th p

scott thuman joining us from the capitol hill bureau. even the white house has a rather interesting disruption of the description of relationship with sessions now. scott: you are referring to the conversation i had with anthony scaramucci asking how it was playing out in his eyes. he likened what is going on presidents' day trump and jeff sessions as a couple that is considering divorce. saying it's time to talk and deside if they want to regroup and stay together or is it time to split? a few moments ago the president was holding a press conference in the rose guard on the white house and asked about the future of jeff sessions he has called weak and beleaguered and whether or not he will remain as the attorney general. this is what he had to say moments ago. president trump: i am disappointed in the attorney general. he should not have recused himself before taking office. he should have told me before taking office and i would have scott: that is because, of course, his disappointment as he expressed the jeff sessions recusing himself

scott thuman is in the satellite center with what is being done. what can be done? scott: it's being analyzed as breakneck pace. they are trying to determine how to response. you have harsh reaction from the u.s. at an emergency meeting of the united nations. ambassador nikki haley saying time is short and action is required to avoid a catastrophe. resolution being drawn up as we speak. a signal of strength and possibly u.s. reach by north kore fire power. all as president trump now overseas trying to further align a united front and assess options. >> if your are president trump, what is your level of concern right now? >> i think he has to be very concerned. range of this intercontinental ballistic missile reaches out and touches us in a bad way. you have to assume the worst case. >> former secretary of defense peter brooks says choices rain from preemptive strikes to diplomacy but pressure on the chinese on their neighbors may be most effective if they choose to help. >> that is the challenge. countries have different interests in north korea that we have. we want

chief political correspondent scott thuman is at the abc 7 bureau with details on shot spicer's resignation and donald trump's new hire. >> this started brewing overnight. this morning, we woke up to news that anthony would be indeed named as the new commute occasion communications directo. sean spicer had been filling in while technically still serving as the white house press seet times," and some of this information confirmed from av sources would indicate -- ap sources would indicate sean spicer was unhappy with this decision. he expressed the sentiment to the president. the president made his formal decision around 10:00 a.m. on the new communications director. sean spicer immediately voiced his displeasure with that situation and said he was resigning despite other reports indicating that the president requested he stay on. there were multiple times where people thought maybe this was a breaking point for sean spicer over the past six months. notably, one of them was when they went to the vatican and had a time alone with the pope. sean spicer looking very much forward to that opportu

chief political correspondent scott thuman brings us up to speed on what could be a high-stakes discussio: oc: new overnight.. virginia executed an killing a security guard and sheriff's deputy during an escape more than a decade ago. william morva was prounounced dead at 9:15 last night. it was the first executon carried out in virginia under a new protocol that makes the lethal injection procedure more secretive. morva was shielded from the view of his attorney and witnesses until after he's restrained and i-v lines put in place. the execution came just hours after governor terry mcauliffe said he would not stop it, despite pressure from mental health advocates and some state lawmakers. an update this morning on congressman steve scalise. doctors say he's undergone a new surgery to manage infection. medstar hospital says the procedure went well but he remains in serious condition. scalise was one of six people hurt when a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice in alexandria last month. parents are banding together, following last friday's arrest of a former charles coun

recently, our scott thuman was in berlin and spoke with some americans about their travel and terrorismscott: for tourists, whether it's a bike ride beneath the brandenburg gate or a stroll along the painted remaining panels of the berlin wall, the german capital is like a living history book. it is a city that has endured dark times of division and then felt the relief of reunification. today, a different struggle -- one of assimilating a surging refugee population and attempting to ensure safety after a series of attacks. >> people are very -- they're helpful, regardless of what your nationality is or which country you come from. at least tha >> i don't feel less safe here with more refugees than i do in the states. scott: for this family from northern california, any worries are met with perspective. >> when you have terrorism, it's an isolated case, who knows when you're gonna go? so you just live your life and you just say, hey, if it happens, it's my time. other than that, i'm living my life, going wherever i want to go, see what i want to see. scott: dayna and jack brockbank are

jonathan: scott thuman is charge of that -- scott taylor is in charge of that. >> it comes down to where it is located. there are not of federal regulations. rules which some say seems odd. a year ago at the frederick county fair in virginia a 47-year-old woman riding the slingshot. the wide drop and the seat was detached from the main portion of the ride. she fell 40 feet and suffered multiple injuries. in virginia it's left up to the local authorities to inspect rides. in maryland it's different. they make the owners inspect rides on a daily basis. what happened in ohio makes the fir-goers here stop and think what type of ride they really want the family jumping on. >> very concerned. no intention to let them get on the rides. >> if you had your kids here, would they be on the rides? >> i have my kids here and i will have them on rides i would think would be safe. >> the fall-out in o it's not the same ride but they shut it down and they are checking it out. 4,000 kids are injured every year. how do you protect your child? we are working on those figures for 6:00 p.m. scott taylor, abc

our chief political correspondent scott thuman is here. my first question is are you surprised by this? scott: i'm not surprised he quit. i am surprised it was over this issue on th p but those of us who deal with sean a lot know he found himself to be fair and put himself in a difficult position. often no win when you consider his team would put out one message that would be contradicted by the president himself with a tweet or late night statement. that was difficult for him. he put out a tweet, the first public statement from sean that it has been an honor and privilege and he'd stay on through august. the new communications director who sean supposedly quit over was asked now that there has been a change, will we return to the tradition of the nearly daily on camera briefings which have become rare of late. here is what he had to say. >> if she supplies hair and makeup, i'll consider it. i need a lot of hair and make-up. i don't know. maybe. this is the press secretary. i'm up here today because this is the first day. we may. i have to

as scott thuman explains that is raising more serious questions. >> he wore the hat early on. he was the first senator to endorse then longshot candidate trump. but this hasn't sat well with the president. president trump: sessions should have never recused himself. if he was going to recuse himself he should have told would have picked someone else. scott: sessions tried to sidestep any controversy today. >> i have honor to serve as attorney general and i plan to continue to do so. >> hi thinks that the attorney general is his lawyer. attorney general is the lawyer for people of the country. he had no ohio but to recuse himself. >> surprising. i hope the president and presume he had the conversation with the attorney general personally. scott: what do you do if you are the attorney general after that? >> that is something that they should talk about. he has been unafraid to openly criticize others like sean spicer or stephen bannon. >> do you worry about th continued relationships from the administration that seem to be trained? >> no. i think everybody is an adult and they w

chief political correspondent scott thuman joins us from the scat line center to explain -- satellite center to explain. scott? scott: president trump vowed earlier in poland he would confront new forms of aggression. many say he will get the chance in some respects when he meets tomorrow with russia's vladimir putin. protests may make highlights of the g20 summit, president trump's meeting with vladimir putin may be the most meaningful headline after he has trained the tune from campaign trail -- >> the problem with nato is it's obsolete. >> to the comments today. >> we urge russia to stop destabilizing activities. scott: the tough talk and the show of unity with nato members, some fearful of potential russian invasion, likely o the two leaders. >> it's difficult to say what russia's intentions are in the relationship. that is the most important part of this meeting. >> complicating matters concerns over russian's interference in the u.s. >> i think president trump needs to confront him about russia's involvement in our democratic process. scott: it's a fine line to walk. many believ

scott thuman has more on what to expect. a criticals is meeting for many reasons, perhaps top of the list -- how to handle the growing crisis in north korea. many believe a vladimir putin could have significant influence on the north korean leader, perhaps, even persuading him to halt the highly concerning missile launches we have seen and the steps towards a nuclear weapon that could reach the western united states. the problem is -- no one seems to be sure what kind of relationship president trump and putin will forge out of this meeting. trump has taken a harsher tone in the past 24 hours about seenan activities that are as threat into our nato partners and of course, russia is still suspected by many as trying to influence the presidential election here. so, there is a lot to discuss between these two, war in syria which has caused some real strains between russia and the u.s. we're going to keep a close eye on this meeting which is set for later this morning. we will bring you updates throughout the day. this morning, t