Theyve been meeting for the last couple of hours, all as President Trump is dealing with National Security headlines, including questions about his National Security adviser Michael Flynn. Thin ice, hot seat, whatever you want to call it, Michael Flynn is in it, not just because of questions about what he discussed with the Russian Ambassador prior to President Trump taking office, particularly these electionrelated sanctions against moscow, but for a number of other reasons. Sources telling nbc news that President Trump is disturbed by the way that flynn has handled some different situations related to National Security. Its making for a tense situation when it comes to him. Our sources tell us chief of staff reince priebus, speculated to also be on potentially rocky waters, is actually fine, according to four sources inside and outside the white house who say that priebus is safe. We expect them to walk in any minute now in the east room. And think about this too, this is the second president ial press conference that President Trump has held just in these last two weekdays. Hes got another one later this week when the israeli Prime Minister comes to visit as well. Its an opportunity for the members of the media to gather here in what is a very tight squeeze, to address issues important to the nation. Thanks, hallie, let us know when you get the twominute warning for the start of this event. Lets hear from the president of the council of Foreign Relations, richard haas, welcome to you, first of all. Great to be here. Hard to know where to begin. But lets begin with the relationship between these two countries and the country we americans specifically grew up being told were our Good Neighbors to the north. This is probably the most intimate Foreign Relationship the United States has, indeed its so intimate its not really a Foreign Relationship, its an extension of many domestic things. Economically were integrated. Security, were integrated against the kind of threats we dealt with during the colder war as well as the more recent terrorism kinds of threats. Trade, an enormous percentage of ca canadas exports, 75, 80 come to the United States. Millions of american jobs are dependent on canada. So many things pingpong across the border several times as they get built. About the Foreign Policy shop in this still very new white house, we have general flynn, the former threestar, National Security adviser to the president , who is said to be on quite thin ice and whose future may depend on the existence or the content of some transcripts that were intercepted by u. S. Intelligence officials as a matter of course. We also have this odd tableau at maralago this past weekend. The North Koreans launch a missile, and instead of going to a tank or a secured location, dinner continues apace at maralago, because the president s guest of honor is the head of the nation of japan, perhaps number one, two, or three most impacted by a Missile Launch by north korea. What do you make of any or all of it . Longer conversation about north korea. But that is going to be potentially the real Foreign PolicyNational Security crisis, not thats selfgenerated by the Trump Administration like so many others, but thats just going to happen. Japan, south korea, and the United States are going to have to come to a common policy. South korea could be the weak link in that when we see how their own president ial impeachment process goes. The larger question of general flynn is not just what he said and when he said it in his various conversations with the russians and the Vice President. But the National Security process isnt working now. The question is, is it general flynn or more broadly, something about this white house . Theres a lot of cooks in the kitchen. The president himself is doing his tweets. An awful lot of people who should be working there cant, because of letters and statements they made during the campaign. Secretary of state and secretary of defense cant get the deputies they want. This is not working. One hopes, prays, they get this right and in place before a real crisis comes to us. Of the generals who are frequent visitors, speakers, participants at the council on Foreign Relations, as we have come to know in the modern era, they really are warrior scholars, so many of them have advanced degrees from ivy league institutions. General flynn, and i think this is fair, came from a more finite and focused background, almost peculiarly limited. Yes, brent scowcroft, for example, came from a much more intellectual background. Youve got to be the counselor to the president , the coordinator, the traffic cop, to make sure everything is looked at rigorously, carefully. You dont have the sort of thing done as was done with the guidelines on Homeland Security and so forth. Either general flynn has to be able to do it, and he has to be backed, or they have to bring in somebody else. More important, i would argue, the president has to decide to empower his National Security adviser. That has implications for a lot of other people returning around the west wing. We resume that job of National Security adviser brings with it a view of the world, especially when you come from the Intelligence Community. But does it help, is it necessary to have a world view . Absolutely. This administrations Foreign Policy, at least rhetorically, has mainly been about disruption, the health care equivalent of repeal. But whats the replace . What is is their definition of success . What is their definition of order . How will they know if we succeed . Its one thing to say nafta is flawed, but what are you going to put in it place . Not just with canada but with mexico. Ironically, if they dont get it right, it could hurt the economy of mexico, with the bizarre result of increasing immigration problems with the United States, which flies in the face of President Trumps priorities. Theyve got to work this out not only on the political side but on the economic and trade side. This is why you need a broad, functioning National Security warning. We think aware here our twominute warning. Richard haas will be staying with us. Lets bring in former u. S. Ambassador to canada, gordon griffin, from 97 to 01. You can tell us about these two characters who at least by our looking at it could not be more different. Well, thats probably right. But over the course of our history, weve had different characters leading the two different countries. And the weight of the relationship and the history of the relationship sort of overpower it. As long as people of good faith are running the two countries, i think you can find that well Work Together seamlessly as richard haas just described. We are so integrated that we really dont export and import. We make things together. The average car thats manufactured, socalled, in detroit, actually crosses the border with ontario about seven times. So weve got a very integrated economy in north america. Remember, the nafta agreement really was the canada u. S. Free trade agreement with mexico hung on the back. That may have been a little premature. Mexico wasnt a developed economy at the time, didnt have the kind of social or governmental institutions necessary to collaborate in that threeparty agreement. So a renegotiation or a redo of nafta is not totally illogical. It was negotiated before the internet. Theres a lot of things about naphtin half nafta are old. A lot of it needs to be not j k junked, but innovationforwardlooking. Its an old agreement. For american viewers getting their first glimpse, their first taste of Justin Trudeau at this event today, what should we know about him . Dynamic, very talented young man. The first time i saw him is when he gave the eulogy at his fathers funeral. I was ambassador. I took jimmy carter, our former president who served with mr. Trudeau the first, and when i had never seen Justin Trudeau before, and he gave the eulogy at that funeral. I sat there and said, theres a star on the rise at the time. I think hes a remarkable talent. I think he can be a big part of continuing the chemistry that spans the 49th parallel. The kinds of things were involved in together are unlike another two countries. We tend to focus on whats going back and forth across our common border. But were engaged all around the world together as partners on advancing market economies, on advancing democratic principles. The partnership with canada, there are plenty of times when canada has to be the lead horse in the parade, if you will, because if the United States tries to advance an idea, it will be disagreed with by some of our friends around the world, where if the canadians advance it, its more wellreceived. The ambassador is staying with us, richard haas is staying with us, and im told katy tur, who is in new york and covered the trump campaign, im told by katy that we have the twominute warning. Why dont you wildly speculate about the kinds of questions well hear. Reporter well get questions about immigration, refugees, the travel ban. After it was announced, Justin Trudeau took to twitter himself and said canada welcomes refugees and theyll be welcomed across the borders. Weve already seen an influx of refugees crossing into canada over the american border. There is a question whether canada will lure tech talent, since the u. S. Is seeming a more potentially hostile place for refugees. Kellyanne conway, jared, theyre all there in the front row. Reporter theyre all there. The big question is whether general mike flynn will show up. We saw him show up to the donald trump Prime MinisterAbe Press Conference last week, on friday. Im told general flynn is there, i did not see him walk in. Its notable that as all that general flynn news was breaking about him talking to the Russian Ambassador, was breaking on friday, he did walk in, he sat down. Vice president mike pence walked right over to him and shook his hand, gave him a smile. It will be very interesting today. Donald trump enters this room after another difficult weekend where press and Media Coverage and depictions are concerned, perhaps you saw saturday need live, we need not add to that record. But donald trump enters this room with two very important aides under a microscope, and perhaps with a target around them, and that is chief of staff reince priebus, he of course came from the rnc, and as weve been discussing, general flynn, the former threestar general famously relieved of duty by president obama, who has now taken up his post, and a critical post it is in the west wing. The president and the canadian Prime Minister were seen walking down the portico alongside the rose garden after the initial meeting they had. They were going to have lunch in the mansion portion of the white house. This was earlier, on their way to lunch. Then they were going to come back up. This is just right along the portico, we would be standing in the middle of the lawn in the rose garden to take these pictures. Then the two men presumably are right at the other side of those wooden doors, about to come out. We should be on the raggedy g ye of that twominute warning. The rules for this kind of thing call for whats called two and two, two questions from the visiting press corps, canadian journalists, and two questions from the White House Press corps. If youve been watching, however, people like katy tur have led to question creep, four or five questions. Reporter thats because donald trump doesnt answer the question asked or answers in a way that leads to i dont want to say correction but sometimes correction is needed, or sean spicer, white house spokesman, will need that as well. So were seeing that more in these White House Press briefings. These News Conferences are taking, as you said, brian, quite a different turn than we have seen with past president s. We saw when he was standing at the lectern alongside german chancellor Angela Murkel im sorry, theresa may. Theresa may, the Prime Minister of the uk. Im getting ahead of myself already. He called her theresa the whole time, mispronouncing her name slightly. But he didnt have prepared remarks. Prime minister abe, that press conference, he did have prepared remarks, but he didnt actually put in the translating earpiece that he would have needed to understand the Prime Minister of japans opening remarks. That is unless donald trump learned japanese fluently, we do not know if he knows japanese fluently, we dont suspect that he does. That was a more contentious News Conference because the first two questions, the New York Post and then fox news, both of which were about this travel ban, the courts striking it down. Trump even tried to end the News Conference a little bit early, and Prime Minister abe had to remind him that a japanese journalist had one more question allotted to them, and they waited and asked another one. So were going to find out what sort of mood donald trump is in with the Prime Minister of canada. He seems to be in a better mood than he was in on friday, of course friday was a tougher day. And here they are, theyre coming out. The wooden doors have opened, both leaders are coming out. Thank you. Prime minister trudeau, on behalf of all americans, i thank you for being with us today. It is my honor to host such a great friend, neighbor, and ally at the white house. A very special place. This year, canada celebrates the 150th year of confederation. For americans, this is one of the many milestones in our friendship, and we look forward, very much forward, i must say, to many more to come. Our two nations share much more than a border. We share the same values. We share the love and a truly great love of freedom. And we share a collective defense. American and canada troops have gone to battle together, fought wars together, and forged the special bonds that come when two nations have shed their blood together, which we have. In these dangerous times, it is more important than ever that we continue to strengthen our vital alliance. The United States is deeply grateful for canadas contribution to the counter isis effort. Thank you. And we continue to work in common and in common cause against terrorism, and work in common cooperation toward reciprocal trade and shared growth. We understand that both of our countries are stronger when we join forces in matters of international commerce. Having more jobs and trade right here in north america is better for both the United States and it is also much better for canada. We should coordinate closely and we will coordinate closely to protect jobs in our hemisphere and keep wealth on our continent and to keep everyone safe. Prime minister, i pledge to work with you in pursuit of our many shared interests. This includes a stronger trading relationship between the United States and canada. It includes safe, efficient, and responsible crossborder travel and migration, and it includes Close Partnership on domestic and interNational Security. America is deeply fortunate to have a neighbor like canada. We have before us the opportunity to build even more bridges, and bridges of cooperation, and bridges of commerce. Both of us are committed to bringing greater prosperity and opportunity to our people. We just had a very productive meeting, with Women Business leaders from the United States and canada, where we discussed how to secure everything that we know, the full power of women can do better than anybody else. We know that. I just want to say, mr. Prime minister, that im focused and youre focused on the Important Role women play in our economies. We must work to address the barriers faced by women and Women Entrepreneurs, including access to capital, access to markets, and, very importantly, access to networks. In our discussion today, we will focus on improving the ways our government and our governments together can benefit citizens of both the United States and canada, and in so doing, advance the Greater Peace and stability of the world. Mr. Prime minister,