Japan's New PM Reappoints Finance Minister; Pew World Poll: U.S. World Reputation Shredded
VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. In the coming hours, Yoshihide Suga will be sworn in as Japan's new prime minister. Both houses of Parliament approved the former chief cabinet secretary and close aide to Shinzo Abe. This happened a short time ago. Joining us now live from Tokyo is Tomohiko Taniguchi, the former special adviser to the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Mr. Taniguchi, thank you for being with us. We now have a case where Japan's longest serving prime minister is being replaced by Japan's longest serving cabinet secretary. These 2 have spent years working together, rising through politics together. There are no plans for major policy changes. Does that mean that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will actually continue with Abe's much more robust defense strategy, including ballistic missiles?</s>TOMOHIKO TANIGUCHI, FORMER ABE SPECIAL ADVISER: Mr. Suga represents continuity and consistency, for sure, because, as you pointed out, he has spent the same amount of time with Prime Minister Abe at the center of Japanese politics. He has said on defense and foreign policies he will continue the course laid out by Shinzo Abe but he will focus first and foremost on COVID-19, as he has pledged a number of times during the campaign period.</s>VAUSE: We'll get to the economy in a moment. But are there concerns that if Japan goes down this road of a more robust defense posture, it could spark some kind of arms race in the region?</s>TANIGUCHI: The Japanese budget is sizable enough. If it were one nation's GDP, that's bigger than Turkey's or Saudi Arabia's. But 73 percent of the budget is fixed for entitlement subsidies for the regional government and the cost to pay back Japanese government bond obligations. So you're basically talking about 27 percent, the rest of the budget is just 27 percent. That should cover all sorts of things from education, scientific research, and certainly defense. But there is certain limit, of course, for Japan to pursue its defense buildup.</s>VAUSE: OK. Well, on the issue of the economy, Japan like every other major country is deep in an economic recession. This seems to be the one area where the new prime minister may have to move away from Abenomics and maybe try a new approach, especially for monetary policy. The Bank of Japan seems to be out of ammunition right now.</s>TANIGUCHI: It's going to be extremely difficult for Bank of Japan, Japanese Central Bank, to choose pretty much a different strategy when the Federal Reserve of the United States has made it clear that it will continue the path that it has taken so far. And another thing that you should take into consideration is that Yoshihide Suga, Mr. Suga, the new prime minister, has according to the rumor chosen a finance minister as the previous finance minister who has served the Abe administration as long as -- for quite some time, as actually a long period of time as Suga. So to appoint the same individual as finance minister is meant to show to the rest of the world that monetary policy, financial policy, will remain unchanged.</s>VAUSE: We've heard a lot of reporting about Prime Minister Suga's personal story. The son of strawberry farmers who rose to political power. The news outlet, though, "The Daily Beast" has a different take. Here's part of it. "... the real Suga is no country bumpkin. He is an information junkie, a control freak, loyal to his boss to a fault, ruthless, vindictive, and never forgets a favor or a slight." Politics all around the world can be a blood sport at times. Would you say that, though, is a fair assessment of the new man in charge?</s>TANIGUCHI: Mr. Suga wakes up at five o'clock each and every morning, without break for 365 days a year, and seven years and eight months. Think about it. And then he flip-flops all newspapers, all magazines every day between five and six. If one calls it information junkie, maybe he is. But he is certainly a self made person. And he came back from a very rural part of Japan and built his career on his own and by himself. In that sense, he distinguishes himself from other politicians.</s>VAUSE: In a country known for working hard, he seems to be the hardest worker. What do we know about Mr. Abe's plans from this point on? What will he do?</s>TANIGUCHI: Ulcerative colitis, a special kind of colitis, is a chronic disease. And Shinzo Abe has to give good care to the chronic disease. And he will concentrate his attention for some time to regain his health. And I think it'll take months.</s>VAUSE: Mr. Taniguchi, former special advisor to former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Thank you, sir, for being with us. We really appreciate it.</s>TANIGUCHI: You're welcome. Thank you very much.</s>VAUSE: President Trump, defensive about his handling of the pandemic in the United States. And a new survey on how he's viewed around the world for that response will not improve his mood. Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to pay a record settlement of $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor, the young woman fatally shot by police as they mistakenly stormed her apartment in March. Taylor's death led to months of protest across the United States as part of the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality. The city admitted to no wrongdoing but did agree to institute sweeping police reforms, all part of the settlement. Taylor's family will continue to push for criminal charges against the police officers involved.</s>TAMIKA PALMER, BREONNA TAYLOR'S MOTHER: As significant as today is, it's only the beginning of getting full justice for Breonna. It's time to move forward with the criminal charges because she deserves that and much more. Her beautiful spirit and personality is working through all of us on the ground. So please continue to say her name.</s>VAUSE: Perhaps reality is best seen from a distance. When it comes to handling the coronavirus pandemic, the world sees the U.S. president as less trustworthy than China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin. A Pew Research survey of people in 13 countries finds the reputation of the U.S. has plummeted. CNN's Isa Soares has details.</s>ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As more American lives are lost every day, President Trump continues to defend his handling of COVID-19.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I took tremendous steps and saved probably two or two and-a-half million lives by doing what we did early.</s>SOARES: Internationally, however, the world doesn't share his self appraisal. According to a new report by the Pew Research Center of thirteen nations, a median of just 15 percent of people believe the U.S. has done a good job handling the crisis. Even China, where the pandemic began, received better reviews than the U.S. Pew, which polled over 13,000 people from early June to early August, also found that internationally, the view of the United States overall has plummeted. In some countries, it's never been lower. How about President Trump, how do these nations rate him? According to Pew, the median here, 16 percent of all nations surveyed have confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. And when compared to other leaders, well, the president doesn't stack up very well behind Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany who the president has criticized in the past received the highest approval rating with a median of 76 percent of those surveyed having confidence in her leadership. But with less than 50 days until the U.S. election, President Trump's focus likely isn't on how he's perceived internationally. Rather, it's about rallying enough support inside America ahead of the November 3rd poll. Isa Soares, CNN, London.</s>VAUSE: Nicholas Burns served as under secretary of state in the George W. Bush administration. He's currently a foreign policy adviser to the biden campaign. He's with us from Westport, Massachusetts. Ambassador Burns, thanks for taking the time.</s>NICHOLAS BURNS, FMR. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR GEORGE W. BUSH, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO BIDEN CAMPAIGN: Thank you, John.</s>VAUSE: This Pew study was interesting. Because it ranked five world leaders in terms of the level of confidence they would do the right thing in world affairs. German chancellor Angela Merkel has the highest level of trust. That's followed by the French President Emmanuel macron then we have Boris Johnson of the U.K. somewhere in the middle. What's interesting, Vladimir Putin comes next, then Xi Jinping of China. The least trusted out of those five leaders is Donald J. Trump. It was shocking but not surprising. And I'm wondering if this says to you that the damage which is currently being done to the international reputation of the United States is, for the most part, being driven by the actions of one man who happens to be the president?</s>BURNS: I think that's correct. I think this is a devastating portrait of Donald Trump's leadership and what people think of it. But what could we all expect? Donald Trump took the United States out of the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic and withdrew American funding. He took us out of the Paris Climate Change agreement. We're the only country in the world not part of it -- that's the major global crisis long term. And at a time of huge numbers of refugees worldwide, he's closed America's doors to refugees. So people are watching what he's doing, and they don't like what he's doing.</s>VAUSE: And then there's sort of the real world impact from Trump's failed pandemic response, which is beyond that daily death count. Here's a headline from the Pew Center as well. "Coronavirus, Trump Chill International Enrollment at U.S. Colleges." That's one example. It's a big deal because it's a big money earner for those colleges. But what are the other implications here for the United States internationally, especially among allies and the low opinion they now have of the United States?</s>BURNS: Well, the big implications for the United States are that the allies -- and I'm a former ambassador to NATO -- don't trust the president of the United States because he continually critiques the NATO Alliance and he's been particularly pointed in his criticism of the leader who received the greatest confidence by people around the world in this Pew poll, Angela Merkel. And our allies are the great power differential between the U.S. and Russia in the transatlantic region but we've never had a president who's been so negative about NATO. And our allies reflect that view in this poll.</s>VAUSE: When Donald Trump was elected four years ago, many saw that outcome as not being reflective of the country and its values. There was comfort for many world leaders that President Trump was just an aberration. If he wins a second term will it be not so much an aberration but rather affirmation of the values of this country?</s>BURNS: Well, it'll say a lot about the country obviously. It'll say a lot about the damage that Donald Trump could do in a second term. Even John Bolton, the arch conservative former national security adviser to Trump, said publicly a month ago he feared that Trump could take the United States out of NATO, leave NATO, in a second term. That's one of the reasons -- well, it's one of the many, many reasons I'm supporting Joe Biden. He'd be a much stronger president of the United States, much more unifying president. And frankly, one who knows what he's doing around the world and foreign policy.</s>VAUSE: It will be a critical election. They say that every time, but this year, I guess, more than most. Thanks to Ambassador Nicholas Burns. Now a quick programming note before we go. 1:00 am this Friday London time, 8:00 am in Hong Kong. Watch CNN's Anderson Cooper moderate a Town Hall with the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden. You'll see it only on CNN. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Stay with us, please. WORLDSPORT is after the break.</s>PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLDSPORT: French football's chief power broker weighing in amid Neymar's allegation he was subjected to a racist slur during Sunday's ill-fated Le Classique. That is just ahead. But, we start with the COVID-19 impacted NBA playoffs that have been taking place in the Orlando bubble. On an historic night for the sport of basketball too. The Denver Nuggets looking to be the first team in league history to recover from back to back 3-1 series deficits. Their game seven of the Western Conference semis against the L.A. Clippers who at one point in the first half had a 12 point advantage. But the Nuggets Jamal Murray utterly inspired with 40 points on this night, Denver dominating the second half and powering their way to the all important victory, 104 points to 89. As the Colorado franchise seeks to reach the NBA finals for the first time ever. Serbian star, Nikola Jokic with 16 of his own. The Nuggets do it again, the comeback kings. Denver through to the Western Conference finals where they will meet LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers. Another Clippers collapse. Meantime the WNBA beginning its playoffs on Tuesday with the league having dedicated the 2020 season -- this to the memory of Breonna Taylor and the Say Her Name movement which raises awareness for black female victims of police violence. Now it comes as the City of Louisville in Kentucky agreeing to play $12 million to Taylor's family and to institute sweeping police reforms in a settlement of the family's wrongful death lawsuit. Now WNBA players have continually been so quick to be proactive, never slow in speaking up in the most powerful of ways. Players wearing warm-up shirts with the words "Black Lives Matter" displayed on the front and "Say Her Name" on the back. But they feel a lot more still needs to be done.</s>ANGELA MCCOUGHTRY, LAS VEGAS ACES FORWARD: First of all, what is money? Yes, they deserve millions but, first of all, that's not a lot of millions. And then second of all, why aren't they arrested? What else do we need to do? What else do people need to see?</s>BRITTNEY SYKES, LOS ANGELES SPARKS GUARD: They charge the cops?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, ma'am.</s>SYKES: Then that's my reaction. Yes, money is cool but did they charge the cops? And they didn't so our job isn't done.</s>SNELL: Meantime, to Europe now. Where French football authorities are expected to meet later on today. This is amid the fallout from the five red cards brandished in Sunday's volatile Paris Saint-Germain Marseilles clash. And the allegation from Brazilian superstar Neymar that he was subjected to a racist slur during that game. The South American player was one of the five to be sent off after seeing red for striking out at Marseilles Spanish defender Alvaro Gonzalez. And now against the backdrop of all this, French Football Federation President, Noel Le Graet, has been giving his reaction to that game at the Parc de Princes and the allegation in question. This was his take on it all on French television.</s>NOEL LE GRAET, PRESIDENT, FRENCH FOOTBALL FEDERATION (Through Translator): When a black guy scores a goal, the whole stadium is on its feet. This phenomenon of racism in sport and in football, in particular, does not exist at all or barely exists.</s>SNELL: Well, his comments certain to be scrutinized. We are following all the very latest right throughout this Wednesday and beyond. All right. Well, fresh from winning the U.S. Open for a second time, Japan's tennis superstar Naomi Osaka shedding more light now on the motivation behind her third Glam Slam title. Before every match she played at Flushing Meadows, the 22-year-old wearing a mask bearing the name of a victim of racial injustice over here in the United States. Osaka taking to social media Tuesday. "All the people who were telling me to keep politics out of sports, which it wasn't political at all, really inspired me to win. You better believe I'm going to try to be on your TV for as long as possible." From tennis's U.S. Open to golf saw on Thursday the world's leading players with the exception of the injured Brooks Koepka will tee it up at the daunting Winged Foot course in New York. Now top ranked Dustin Johnson is many people's favorite to land a second career major after his sensational form of late. But there's one rather familiar name we should never, ever discount. That said, Tiger Woods' form leaving much to be desired right now. The 15-time major champion is yet to finish in the Top 10 of any tournament since the sport returned after being suspended, this due to the global pandemic. The 44-year-old -- just to reset for you -- he remains three short of Jack Nicklaus' all-time record haul of 18 majors. And Woods, this is really interesting because he now appears to be accepting the reality of Old Father Time. A reality that all iconic greats have to face.</s>TIGER WOODS, 15-TIME GOLF MAJOR WINNER: It gets harder to win as we all age. And I think that, when you're in your prime, in your peak years, you have to take advantage of those opportunities . So that when you get to all-time marks, you have the opportunity. And I think that, whether it's Rafa, it's Fed or it's Serena, they've been so consistent and so dominant for such a long period of time, that's how you get to -- that you can have those all-time marks. And consistency over a long period of time, it's the hallmark of those records.</s>SNELL: Day one is Thursday. Well, as we've been reporting here on CNN. Wildfires continuing to rage across the USA's West Coast. All this as well amid the ongoing global pandemic. Amid the poor air quality, no surprise then the impact being also seen in that part of the country on the Major League Baseball scene. We can tell you that the two-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the Mariners in Seattle, that was scheduled to start Tuesday night, that had to be postponed. The teams will now go head to head on Wednesday and Thursday instead in San Francisco. One potentially high-profile football transfer that we are keeping tabs on. Where, if indeed anywhere, will Welsh superstar Gareth Bale end up next? Bale is currently with Spanish giants Real Madrid where he is reportedly out of favor. The 31-year-old being linked though with the move back to his former club, English Premier League Tottenham on a possible loan deal. Bale was at Spurs for six seasons earlier in his career. Man United also reported keeping tabs on the situation as well. In part one of our chat with chess great Magnus Carlsen it was all about his quest to be the best of all time. We'll tell you why the Norwegian's also making all the right moves when it comes to football's Fantasy Premier League. We'll check it out after the break. Stick around.