In a joint appearance with Russian President Putin, President Trump was unwilling to confront Putin about Russian interference in our election. That has prompted criticism even from fellow Republicans, Including House Speaker Paul Ryan. Paul Kinsinger, an emeritus professor of business intelligence at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, will discuss the meeting.
Ted Simons: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MEETING WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SHOCKS THE WORLD WITH SOME CALLING TRUMP'S STATEMENTS TREASONOUS. AMONG THOSE OPPOSED SENATOR JOHN McCAIN. WE'LL HAVE HIS REACTION AND TALK ABOUT HIS CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CANCER. AND HALF OF SENIOR CITIZENS ARE TAKING THEIR MEDICATION INCORRECTLY. THOSE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."
Ted Simons: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON." I'M TED SIMONS. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S COMMENTS TODAY DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SET OFF AL-LATIN AMERICAS AROUND THE WORLD AS TRUMP SIDED WITH PUTIN AND OPENLY QUESTIONED U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES CONCLUSIONS THAT RUSSIA MEDDLED IN THE 2016 ELECTION.
President Donald Trump: I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN MY INTELLIGENCE PEOPLE, BUT PRESIDENT PUTIN WAS EXTREMELY STRONG AND POWERFUL IN HIS DENIAL TODAY.
Ted Simons: PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO REFUSED TO BLAME RUSSIA FOR PAST INDISCRETIONS AND FOLLOWED WITH ONE MANY ATTACKS MADE ON THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION.
President Donald Trump: WE HAVE BOTH MADE SOME MISTAKES, I THINK THE MUELLER PROBE IS A DISASTER FOR OUR COUNTRY. I THINK IT HAS KEPT US APART, IT’S KEPT US SEPARATED. THERE WAS NO COLLUSION AT ALL.
Ted Simons: THE REPEATED EMPHASIS THAT RUSSIA HAD NO PART OF THE 2016 ELECTION SEEMED ODD WHE PUTIN WAS ASKED ABOUT THE ELECTION VOTE.
Question: DID YOU WANT PRESIDENT TRUMP TO WIN THE ELECTION, AND DID YOU DIRECT ANY OF YOUR OFFICIALS TO HELP WITH THAT?
[Putin Answers]
Translator: YES, I DID. YES, I DID.
Ted Simons: JOHN McCAIN SENT OUT A STATEMENT TODAY, [QUOTE]: JOINING US NOW IS PAUL KINSINGER, A PROFESSOR EMERITUS AT ASU'S THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
Paul Kinsinger: GOOD TO BE HERE.
Ted Simons: THERE'S A LOT TO GET THROUGH ON THIS. MOSTLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO SURPRISING. SENATOR McCAIN, ONE OF THE MOST DISGRACEFUL PERFORMS BY AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN MEMORY. DO YOU AGREE?
Paul Kinsinger: YES, TOTALLY. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I LISTENED TO THIS EVENT THIS MORNING. I HAVE GOT TO BELIEVE THIS IS GUT CHECK TIME FOR TRUE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES. TRUE CONSERVATIVES OUGHT TO BE SPINNING IN THEIR GRAVES, RONALD REAGAN, RICHARD NIXON, GEORGE SCHULTZ, PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHO FOUGHT AND WON THE COLD WAR WOULD NEVER HAVE STOOD BY AND ALLOWED SUCH THINGS TO BE UTTERED BY AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT, LET ALONE -- EVEN THINK OF THEM. IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE.
Ted Simons: IT'S BEING SAID THAT PUTIN BASICALLY GOT AND IS GETTING EVERYTHING HE EVER WANTED. HE IS SEWING DISCORD IN THE EU, WITH NATO, HE HAS THE U.S. AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS HERE ABOUT WHETHER THIS PROBE SHOULD CONTINUE. I MEAN THIS GUY IS WHISTLING ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Paul Kinsinger: IT HAS BEEN A GOOD TWO YEARS FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN, AND NO AMERICAN SHOULD TAKE THEIR EYE OFF OF THE BALL OF THIS GUY. HE CAME OF AGE IN THE COLD WAR AS A YOUNG KGB AGENT. THE SHAME AND THE HUMILIATION OF THE SOVIET UNION FALLING APART HAS NEVER LEFT HIM, AND I THINK HIS SOLE AIM IS TO GET BACK AT THE UNITED STATES ONE WAY OR OTHER.
Ted Simons: WHEN THE PRESIDENT BASICALLY ATTACKS THE FBI ON A GLOBAL STAGE STANDING NEXT TO VLADIMIR PUTIN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
Paul Kinsinger: UNCONSCIONABLE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT ANY CONSERVATIVE WHO FOUGHT IN THE COLD WAR WOULD EVER HAVE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS, OR THOUGHT IT, AND THERE IS NO WAY THEY WOULD ALLOW SUCH REMARKS TO GO UNCHALLENGED.
Ted Simons: YEAH, VERY STRONG REMARKS FROM McCAIN. AND ANOTHER COMMENT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY RUSSIA WOULD HAVE INTERFERED.
Paul Kinsinger: THE GRAND PLAN THAT HAS EMERGED FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN'S RUSSIA IS THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO WIN THE CONTINUATION OF THE NON-COLD WAR, AND THAT -- YOU KNOW, THE UNITED STATES BASICALLY HAD A PARTY IN 1990. IN 1992, IT DRANK A BUNCH OF BOOZE, PARTIED ALL NIGHT, AND THOUGHT WE CAN JUST GO ON WITH WHAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT THE RUSSIANS DIDN'T STOP, AND PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE KGB LIKE PUTIN SIMMERED IN THEIR HOLES, AND THEY HAVE COME BACK, AND THEY HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FIGHT GOING, AND WE'RE ONLY BEGINNING TO START TO SEE WHAT THIS PLAN IS REALLY ABOUT, AND BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SOMEWHAT AT FAULT FOR TAKING THEIR EYE OFF OF THE BALL, THE REPUBLICANS FOR GETTING ALL CAUGHT UP IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN A FIGHT ABOUT MANHOOD IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INSTEAD OF KEEPING AN EYE ON THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND THE OBAMA FOR NOT WANTING TO GET THAT ENGAGED IF POSSIBLE. BUT AFTER TODAY, I CAN ONLY THINK OF A MOVIE THAT I THINK EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD WATCH AGAIN, THE MANTURE -- MANCURIAN CANDIDATE.
Ted Simons: WHY WASN'T THE PRESIDENT HAVE ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT NATO? HE CALLED THE EU A FOE. AND THESE WERE DELIBERATE WORDS. A FOE. NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT NATO OR THE EU, BUT WHEN VLADIMIR PUTIN SAYS HE DIDN'T DO IT --
Paul Kinsinger: YEAH, GOOD AS GOLD, APPARENTLY. JUST ASTONISHING. I CAN'T BEGIN TO PSYCHOANALYZE DONALD TRUMP. BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND EVERYONE CAN RECOGNIZE HE IS NO STUDENT OF HISTORY. HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN HISTORY. HE IS APPARENTLY NOT INTERESTED IN STUDYING OR PREPARING FOR ANYTHING LET ALONE THESE SUMMIT MEETINGS AS HIS PRESS SHOWED FOR THIS ONE, AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE ONE THING HE DOES SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT SO MUCH IS THE LEGITIMACY OF HIS ELECTION WIN. THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO GET HIM GOING WHEN HE IS IN FRONT OF CAMERAS, AND HE COMES BACK TO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. IT APPEARS TO BE ALL ABOUT HIM AND NOT THIS COUNTRY.
Ted Simons: IS HE CHANGING THE LANGUAGE AND THE NARRATIVE OF POST WORLD WAR II WORLD ORDER?
Paul Kinsinger: I DON'T THINK HE SET OUT TO -- INTENDED TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK HIS ACTIONS AND LACK OF ACTIONS AND THE ROUTE THAT HE IS TAKING IS PUTTING IN PLACE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT OTHERS WILL SAY, HEY, THIS BEGINS TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. I DON'T THINK HE -- HE HIMSELF HAS THIS GRAND PLAN. I THINK HE IS WAY TOO NARCISSISTIC AND EGOTISTICAL TO HAVE SUCH A GRAND PLAN AT WORK. BUT HE IS LIKE AN 8 BALL THAT IS SHOT INTO THE POD TO BREAK THE BALLS OPEN.
Ted Simons: RIGHT. RIGHT.
Paul Kinsinger: THE IMPACT OF WHERE THOSE BALLS THEN GO, THAT'S THE POWER THAT HE HAS HAD.
Ted Simons: THAT LEADS ME TO MY LAST QUESTION. CAN EUROPE RIGHT NOW AT THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY DEPEND ON THE UNITED STATES, DEPEND ON NATO?
Paul Kinsinger: I THINK EUROPE -- I'M GUESSING AT THE -- IN THE -- IN THE HALLS OF ALL POWER IN EUROPE, THERE IS STILL THE CALCULATION THAT PUSH COMES TO SHOVE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON THE UNITED STATES AND ON THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACTIVITY. I THINK THEY KNOW THERE ARE DEEPER TIES ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE, GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT TIES, MILITARY TO MILITARY TIES THAT WILL TAKE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OR ONE ADMINISTRATION TO UNRAVEL. THERE'S NO QUESTION, THOUGH, THAT THIS -- THIS INCO HERANCE AT THE TOP IS SOMETHING THAT NO ONE IN EUROPE EVER EXPECTED TO SEE ACROSS THE POND.
Ted Simons: YOU MENTIONED SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, AND THE IDEA OF PEOPLE AROUND A PRESIDENT MOVING TO REMOVE THAT PRESIDENT FOR WHATEVER -- ARE THERE PEOPLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION NOW -- NOT REMOVING THE PRESIDENT -- BUT ISN'T SOMEONE SAYING SOMETHING TO HIM LIKE I NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE REASON NATO EXISTS IS BECAUSE EUROPE HAS BEEN A BLOODY BATTLEGROUND FOR CENTURIES?
Paul Kinsinger: RIGHT. EXACTLY. AS WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE BREAK. PEOPLE LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT EUROPE SPENT 2,000 YEARS KILLING EACH OTHER, AND BECOMING THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE WORLD DESPITE ALL OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, STILL A BLOOD-SWEPT BATTLEGROUND FOR CENTURIES. I THINK PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS TO DONALD TRUMP. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER HE IS LISTENING, WHERE IT SEEPS IN, AND WHETHER WHEN HIS BUTTONS ARE PUSHED HE CAN EVER RISE ABOVE THE PERSONAL ATTACK THAT HE SEES TO SEE IN EVERYTHING.
Ted Simons: GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
Paul Kinsinger: THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.
Ted Simons: AND LATER CONCERN OVER SENIORS FAILING TO TAKE THEIR MEDICINE CORRECTLY.
Paul Kinsinger, an emeritus professor of business intelligence at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University