THE LEAD STORY - THE TRUMP SITDOWN ON '60 MINUTES': President Trump raised eyebrows on several topics in a wide-ranging interview on "60 Minutes" Sunday night ... The president addressed rumors of Secretary of Defense James Mattis' imminent departure by saying that he "may leave" and calling the widely respected general "sort of a Democrat."However, Trump pointed out that "everybody leaves" during the course of presidential administrations and that he and Mattis have a good relationship. Speculation about Mattis started at a fever pitch last month when Woodward's book "Fear" was released. The book claimed Mattis told associates at a National Security Council meeting this year that Trump had the understanding of, and often acted like, a "fifth- or sixth-grader." Mattis denied Woodward's allegations.
President Trump also called reports that the White House is in chaos "so false" and "fake news." In a contentious exchange with "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl, he said he had "no intention" of shutting down Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and added that he believes that China interfered in the 2016 election as well. When asked why he would not "pledge" to not shut down the Russia probe, Trump said, "Why should I pledge to you? If I pledge, I'll pledge. I don't have to pledge to you."
The president also defended his past comments on NATO, saying that the United States will no longer be taken advantage of and that NATO countries must pay more into their defense budgets. At one point, Trump said he thinks he knows more about the NATO alliance "from the standpoint of fairness" than Defense Secretary Mattis. And on efforts to denuclearize North Korea, Trump said he trusts Kim Jong Un to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. He attributed their special relationship to “good chemistry.”
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