The following podcast contains explicit materials.

Thursday, November 9, 2017 from Slated to the Gist I, Mike Pesca,

the president is in Asia and acting kind of presidential?

Well, he's not composing himself with the gentility of a statesman per se.

He did exchange novelty hats with Shinzo Abe, novelty hats that would make a

Branson street vendor blush, but sticking mostly to script and declining the

opportunity to freelance his way into an international incident.

For instance, after a speech where he actually expressed some optimism about North

Korea, he was reminded by a reporter about all the times he said that

negotiating with North Korea would be a waste of time.

And the president said, quote, I don't want to say that. I just don't want to say that.

You can understand. I can't understand. I just didn't think he could.

Then in China last night, their time, he made conciliatory remarks that contrasted with

his usual stump speech, tough talk. Morning Joe, play those two back-to-back,

juxtapose the statements on their broadcast today.

We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing.

It's the greatest theft in the history of the world. I don't blame China.

After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country

for the benefit of its citizens? I give China great credit.

Now, I believe Morning Joe's point was to play those two next to each other,

was to show that the president was being inconsistent. I however take

it as an effort to be diplomatic, the Trumpian version of diplomatic.

...