First tweeted today is ending considerably better than it started. One, postponement of putin visit, two, possible u. S. eu trade truce, three secretary pompeo declaring u. S. Richard tweeted this. I tweeted today ended better than it gan ignoring yogis wisdom that it aint over till its over. Now some congressmen claiming to be conservatives have move to impeach the Deputy Attorney general. Well start right there. A group of republicans in the house have introduced articles of impeachment against Rod Rosenstein in connection to special counsel Robert Muellers probe. The resolution introduced by House Freedom caucus and nine other cosponsors accuses rosenstein of blocking oversight. They claim he withheld documents and made misleading statements on the matter. A spokesman tells nbc news it is not considered a privileged motion whether it comes up for a floor vote is in the hands of the republican leadership. Last week House Speaker paul ryan said rosenstein should be allowed to feninish his investigation. Go around the speaker and impeach Rod Rosenstein. We hope it doesnt have to come to that. This is the first step tonight, but it it doesnt require consent from the speaker. Quite frankly, its either we hold him in contempt or we get the documents and we impeach him. The only thing we have control over is the ability to bring impeachment straight to the floor. Last night in reaction, Top Democrats on intel committees released a joint statement reading, this resolution to impeach Rod Rosenstein is a direct attack full stop. Today special counsel mueller obtained five guilty pleas against a group that includes four Trump Officials and 26 russian nationals. The president should not mistake this move by his congressional enablers as a retext to take any action against mr. Mueller or rosenstein. Kasie, what is the Freedom Caucus up to here . A thorn in the side of rosenstein. Didnt push it far enough in parliamentary terms to force a vote on impeachment for Rod Rosenstein. Are they just sending a message at this point or did they mean it . 218 people to impeach him. That is never going to happen. I get text message from members of congress who maybe they dont want to be out there criticizing jim meadows but they are all defending this investigation and Rod Rosenstein. Some are starting to say it more publicly in statements, as well. This is not a legitimate possibility, at least not in the way that they did it. The reality that this isnt quote unquote privilege. Theyre not forcing leaderships hands. They took one step back away from this. But at the same time, they are sending a signal to the white house. Thats what you saw in that democratic statement. Essentially saying, look, dont view this, mr. President , as license to go ahead and do this and think its going to be okay. Is this a way, jeremy, for republicans against the Mueller Investigation and want to protect the president to get one step closer to bob mueller if they believe, somehow, they can remove Rod Rosenstein . That may be their ultimate b objective. Helsinki was a disaster also politically for republicans on the hill and now you have the Republican Party essentially split. I know well talk about this who are questioning secretary of state mike pompeo. Its suspiciously so. And they were harshly critical of the president. So, here we have House Republicans needing, i think, a key distraction from the events of this week. They roll out these articles of impeachment which are no more than a press release. Majority of americans do not believe the fbi is unfair to the president. According to the latest npr hour, six in ten registered voters say the fbi just trying to do its job. A third of voters say the bureau is biest againas against the tr administration. 37 believe the fbi is doing its job. A little over half, 55 say the bureau is bias against the administration. So, the Freedom Caucus members believe they have cover among their own voters. The problem is theyre making it worse for voters who are in swing districts trying to hold on to their seats. This is designed to undermine the Mueller Investigation. They have no reason tew choir these documents. Right now. I always believe congress has oversight over the executive branch and they should have oversight, but not during an active investigation. They had their own investigatory powers and in hindsight when the Mueller Investigation is complete, they can go review these things and see if things are done properly. To do it now and have these documents they will get out to the public and undermine the investigation and thats what it is designed to do. While it might help jim jordan and mark meadows their districts are frustrated, you have to do something, you have to do something. Impeaching rosenstein seems to be the way out. I dont think it helps the Republican Caucus as a whole. The idea that Rod Rosenstein appointed by this president is part of some great conspiracy to take down donald trump defies belief. Its absurd. Lets not forget, also not a number three there. Who will they replace him with . Putting that all aside, i agree with rick. This is like a pr stunt and theyre leaving for a month and going into recess. Nothing is going to happen and they just kind of threw this out there as the last hurrah in d. C. So, jeremy mentioned mike pompeos testimony yesterday. Appeared before the Senate Foreign relations committee. The first time senators had a chance to question the secretary since singapore and helsinki summits. Back and forths from pom ppeo a senators including policy in other places, as well. Today the Trump Administration is releasing what were calling the crimia declaration. Calls on russia to respect the principals and to end its occupation of crimia, end of quote. I want to show this committee that they do not recognize the kremlins we do not have nuclear inspectors yet on the ground in north korea. Is that correct, mr. Secretary . That is correct. North korea continues to produce nuclear bomb material, is that correct . Im trying to make sure i stay on that yes, thats correct. Is there any verifiable evidence of progress towards denuclearization . Oh, yes. Absolutely. What is verifiable . Were sitting at the table having conversations. We had lots of discussions that im not going to get into here today. I am afraid that at this point the United States, the Trump Administration is being taken for a ride. Fear not, senator. Fear not. No evidence to the contrary. No evidence. Senator, fear not. Has the president told you what he and president putin discuss in their twohour closed door meeting in helsinki. Im confident you had private oneonone meetings in your life. You have chosen that setting i asked you a simple question. Did he tell you whether or not what happened in those two hours . Yes, senator. The predicate implied some notion that there was something improper about having a oneonone meeting. I didnt ask you a predicate, i asked you a simple question. Did he tell you what transpired in the meeting . I was also present when he and president putin both gave us a sense of what they discussed and the meeting that followed immediately after. Also had the chance to speak with lavrov of what happened did you speak to the translator that was at that meeting . No, i havent. You drive distinction between the president s comments and u. S. Policy. Senator, the policies are themselves statements, as well. The most important statements that the administration makes. Policies are statements and statements are policies. Thats absolutely not true. I make lots of statements. Theyre not u. S. Policy. The president says things. The president makes comments in certain places. We have a National Security counsel, we lay out strategies and develop policies. How do i know the president sets the course . How do i know the difference between a president ial statement that is policy and a statement that is . Senator, heres what you should look at . Compare the following. Barack obama speaking tough on russia and doing nothing. Not true. It is true. I understand you want to rewrite the can i clean that up, senator. If you want to clean it up. Id love to. When he speaks id love the chance to do that. Go ahead. I misspoke. It is the case. The president calls the ball. His statements are, in fact, policy. But its the case that when all of us speak in informal settings in response to questions, were not covering the full gamut of things that impact the world. Thats what i intended to say. I saw the glee on your side trying to walk away and making a political point from that. Thats silliness. So now we understand that when the president speaks, it is the policy. I cant say it more far forcefully. We need a clear understanding of what is going on. What our president is agreeing to and what our strategy is on a number of issues. From where we sit, it appears in a ready, fire, aim fashion the white house is waking up every morning and making it up as they go. Is there a strategy to this or what is it that calls the president purposely, purposely create distrust in these institutions and what were doing. Senator, i just disagree with most of what you just said there. You somehow disconnect the administrations activities from the president s actions. Theyre one in the same. I notice that you are not responding to what i am saying. I think i responded to everything you said, senator. No, you didnt. The fact is that you just didnt, okay. We disagree, senator. Lets run the transcript, if you want to talk about it. Well let the world decide. Its the president s public statements that create concern amongst senators on both sides of the aisle. And i was asking you if, in fact, there was some, you know, some rhyme or reason that this type of distrust or discord could be created some of the statements actually achieve important policy outcomes for the United States of america. Some of them do. Some of them very damaging. So, David Ignatius, a lot for you to chew on there as we watch the highlights of that hearing yesterday. The argument throughout from secretary of state pompeo was to ignore donald trump has continued to play with Vladimir Putin, including in public at helsinki and look at the policy. Is the secretary right there . I think in that very testy series of exchanges what you really saw from pompeo was a kind of armed retreat from the positions that we thought President Trump had taken in helsinki. Now, the policies themselves havent changed and cant really tell you what he talked about with Vladimir Putin. Were announcing that our policy is to refuse to endorse the annexation of crimia. Two weeks ago it seemed the president was heading towards support for that. Now, nothing that has been decided on syria. Weve been getting consistent reports that discussions between putin and trump. What we saw yesterday and all sorts of different ways was the administration pulling back from positions that have become very controversial. Well talk later about trade. That is part of this. Doing so in a way that seemed combative and insisting the president is being tough hasnt changed. I think the clearest sign of where they are is the decision to cancel the planned putin trump meeting for the fall at the white house. That theyre putting that off until after the elections. Why . Because they know its unpopular. That they know that the pushback that you heard from every questioner from menendez, the democrat, similarly from corcoran, the republican. Just a lot of unhappiness in congress about the president s move in helsinki and since. Pompeo was pulling back from the positions. But the stated reason yesterday from john bolton, the National Security adviser for the postponement of that meeting or the invitation extended to putin is they wanted to wait out the, quote, witchhunt. As mike pompeo is up on the hill talking about how tough they are on russia, the National Security adviser is saying the investigation into our elections is a witchhunt. Yeah, the fact that you have the National Security adviser using an official statement and the words witchhunt is pretty staggering in and of itself. We dont know the Mueller Probe will be wrapped up by the beginning of next year, which is what mr. Bolton seemed to be implying. But, davids right here. The optics of having a putin summit in washington in the run up to the Midterm Elections was not going to play well for the president. And youve got this curious situation which youre hearing from both the pentagon and from the state department that increasingly decisions are being made in the National Security council with little reference with what is happening to general mattis and secretary pompeo. And the cleanup jobs that are being done by the agencies and theres john bolton who is the one who is actually leading what is happening when it comes to National Security at the moment and thats causing quite a lot of concern, especially at places like the pentagon. I point out that john bolton called it a true act of war and yesterday called the investigation into a witchhunt. Jeremy, this does follow a pattern. We see the president go out and make a mistake or be casual and light with Vladimir Putin or another leader with kim jongun and pompeo or nikki haley that come in afterwards that what the president said is not what is happening in this administration. They have no Foreign Policy process. He doesnt want preparation and read intelligence and get advice from his advisors. They dont know what the game is going into the bilateral or the summit. Then when they come out, the president says things. Its their job to clean up aisle eight. The statements and positions he has taken welcoming a joint cybersecurity summit in which americans will be interrogated by the former kgb agent and, in fact, theyre walking behind the elephant with the shovel in their hands at all times. Lets not forget a couple things that happened in those exchanges that are unprecedented. Back to the meeting where its just the two of them one on one and pomp prpompeo whether he han to the translator. Our secretary of state has no idea what the actual true version of events, the unbiassed true version of events is. Second of all, bob corker up there sounded like the democrats. You can see the difference in pompeos gesture. Theyre on the same side, but, you know, we talk over and over again about when republicans will stand up. You saw that in a big way at that meeting. Meanwhile while that was happening they dialed back trade tensions yesterday which began with tariffs on steal and aluminum experts and new promises of trade both sides agree to work towards zero tariffs in exchange for relatively minor eu concessions. With no firm agreement, europe agreed to purchased liquefied natural gas when the u. S. Builds more export terminals down the road and buy soybeans in the trade dispute with china. The 20 tariff is likely to reshape the Global Market and could mean brazil, the number two producer, will end up selling more soy as a result. The deal was announced shortly before trumps meeting with republican lawmakers, many of whom reject to his tariffs and the 12 billion bailout for farmers taking the brunt of it. Later today, President Trump tra travels to iowa and rural economic development. Charting the trade story for us. So a lot of pomp and circumstance yesterday. News conference hastily arranged. When you cut through it, though, was anything achieved aside from buying soybeans which is good for our farmers and the promise of not having more tariffs down the road . Essentially, no. The one thing you could say in the negative sense in a way that was achieved is that trump was put off on his 25 charge on autos. The steel and aluminum tariffs stay in place for the time. At least it keeps the trade war from escalating and puts it on hold while they try to negotiate this. All those things you just read were happy, feely, things and not decisions. Likely in response as he watched news reports over the last couple days of lobster men in maine and hearing from republicans senators saying you have to do something about this. You have a variety of things going on. Companies that are being that would be affected by them are seeing lower profits already. The Car Companies reported yesterday lower prices. Youre seeing stock prices of Industrial Companies like caterpillar that would be affected by this going down. And then, as you just referred from the other direction, you saw this enormous blow back to the crazy idea of paying our soybean farmers 12 million which blowback came more from the republicans and the democrats because if youre a small government republican, how can you justify somebody handing out 12 billion to a bunch of farmers . Youre not making America Great again youre making america 1929, again. You have some charts for us. We have some charts to fill you in on whats going on on the trade front with europe principally. Lets start with talking about having a deficit with europe. So, what you can see here is that essentially we have significant debt trade deficits with basically oops, wrong countries. Basically with two countries. Italy and germany. Germany, of course, produces a lot of cars. Italy produces a lot of pharmaceuticals and also some cars. When you drive your ferrari out on the w