WATCH: Anderson Cooper Speechless Over Trump’s Realization North Korea, China, NATO, Russia, Healthcare Are Complicated

Trump Learns Presidenting Is Hard

Nearly two months ago President Donald Trump met with governors from across the nation as he was trying to put together a health care plan – or at least, trying to look like he was. On camera that Monday morning, Trump sat at the table and actually told reporters, “nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated.” It was a stunning moment, because everybody knows healthcare is complicated. And everybody has known that for decades. Trump, the world’s greatest dealmaker – or so he told us – ultimately couldn’t make a deal. 

On Wednesday, President Trump revealed that, contrary to his previous remarks, he’s now learned the situation with China and  North Korea is also complicated. Trump, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, “said he developed a warm rapport” with Mr. Xi, the President of China, “after their first meeting last week at his estate in south Florida.”

He said they hit it off during their first discussion. Mr. Trump said he told his Chinese counterpart he believed Beijing could easily take care of the North Korea threat. Mr. Xi then explained the history of China and Korea, Mr. Trump said.

“After listening for 10 minutes, I realized it’s not so easy,” Mr. Trump recounted. “I felt pretty strongly that they had a tremendous power” over North Korea,” he said. “But it’s not what you would think.”

“I realized it’s not so easy.”

“It’s not what you would think.”

“Nobody knew.”

“So complicated.”

Politico Thursday morning rounded up what it calls the recent “WEST WING WHIPLASH”:

Before: Trump said NATO is obsolete. Now: Trump said NATO is a “great alliance.” Before: Trump said it would be great if the U.S. and Russia could get along. Now: Trump says the U.S. and Russia are not getting along, and Rex Tillerson says “There is a low level of trust between our countries.” The president intimated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad consulted Russia before launching a chemical attack on its people. Before: The Trump administration’s foreign policy mantra was “America First.” The U.S. wouldn’t promote regime changes in places like Syria. Trump criticized U.S. involvement in the Middle East. Now: Trump is involved in the Middle East, and depending on who you talk to, the U.S. government would like to topple Assad …

… Before: China is a currency manipulator and could easily convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Now: China is not a currency manipulator, and its relationship with North Korea is complicated. Before: The Export-Import Bank has to be eliminated. Now: The Export-Import Bank is important. 

… Before: Trump says he’s moving on from health care. Now: He says there will be a vote to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Calling it Trump’s “180,” Wednesday night, CNN’s Anderson Cooper experienced that whiplash, and was left speechless, as Mediaite reported. 

Here’s how the segment opened:

Later in the show, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said, We have to hope that the president of the most important country in the world “is educatable on the job.”

Presidenting is hard. It’s too bad Trump didn’t realize that when he was campaigning.