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Felicia Sonmez
National Journalist in the Washington Post Political Press Team
President Trump said that he thought that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "probably" involved in assassinations and poisonings, but he seemed to dismiss the seriousness of these acts, noting that they "do not". had not occurred in the United States.
"Probably what it is, yes. Probably, "Trump told Lesley Stahl of CBS in an interview with the newspaper" 60 Minutes, "if he thought Putin was involved in" assassinations, poisonings. "
"But I'm counting on them. it's not in our country, "added Trump.
A long line of Russian dissidents, journalists and other critics of Putin have been poisoned or died under mysterious circumstances. in one of the most recent cases, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter were poisoned in Britain, apparently by Russian agents. Russia denies any involvement in the attack.
Trump's remarks echo his recent comments about missing Washington columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump promised "severe punishment" to Saudi Arabia if the United States determines that Saudi agents killed Khashoggi, but he also noted that the columnist's disappearance "took place in Turkey and, to our knowledge Khashoggi is not a United State. citizen."
Trump acknowledged that Russia had intervened in the 2016 presidential campaign, but he also wanted to blame other countries.
"They mingled. But I think China has gotten involved too, "he said.
He then ridiculed the idea that his campaign would seek the help of Russia.
"Do you really think I would call Russia to help me with the elections? Give me a break, "said Trump. "They could not help me at all. Call Russia. It's so ridiculous. "
The interview marks Trump's first appearance in "60 Minutes" as president. He had previously been interviewed for the program as President-Elect in November 2016.
In a Sunday, sometimes conflictual interview, Trump addressed a wide range of topics, including his relations with North Korea, NATO and the media.
Trump declined to say he was going to dismiss Attorney General Jeff Sessions, only saying that "we'll see what happens at the halfway point". He also refused to say that he would not end the investigation conducted in Russia by the special advocate Robert S. Mueller III. although he said he did not intend to do it.
Trump told Stahl that he trusted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but also warned, "It does not mean I can not prove I'm wrong."
With regard to relations with Europe, Trump said that the United States was "the stupid country for so many years" and that, even though it "will still remain with the US. NATO ", the other alliance partners" will have to pay their share ".
When asked what his greatest regret was as president, he first stated that the media "treat me terribly". When Stahl then asked what was his biggest mistake, he pointed out that he had not acted faster to renegotiate the free North American program. Commercial agreement.
"I could have ended NAFTA earlier," he said. "The problem was that I was getting to know the leaders. I started to know countries. I did not want to do it right away. "
He also defended a speech he made this month in which he made fun of Christine Blasey Ford, a professor of psychology, who accused Brett M. Kavanaugh of having sexually assaulted her while she was in prison. she was a teenager before she was confirmed Supreme Court Judge.
"If I did not say that, we would not have won," Trump told Stahl. He added that he "was not really making fun of" Ford and "just said that she did not seem to know anything".
The "60 Minutes" interview, which was recorded on Thursday, comes as Trump intensified his appearances in the media in the final stretch before the mid-term elections in November.
Last week, he had more than half a dozen interviews and informal Q & A sessions with reporters, including a free 45 minute phone call with "Fox & Friends," a conversation with journalists on board Air Force One and a surreal meeting of the oval office with rapper Kanye. Where is. This week, he interviews Trish Regan, Fox Business Network, to be broadcast Tuesday night.
Cable networks have begun to soften their coverage of the president's campaign rallies. Trump has featured four Make America Great Again rallies in each of the past two weeks; it will hold three more this week in Montana, Arizona and Nevada.
A poll in the Washington Post-ABC News published Sunday showed that voters' enthusiasm was up compared to four years ago, with the largest increases among Democrats, youth and non-voters. -Blancs. Eighty-one percent of registered Democrats say "absolutely sure to vote" in November, up from 63% in 2014. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans and 72% of independents say they plan to vote .
At the same time, Trump's approval rating has improved slightly since the summer, with 43 percent of registered voters approving Trump's job as president and 53 percent disapproving.
In the interview, Trump said that he did not know if Defense Secretary Jim Mattis would leave the administration, and described him as "a kind of democrat," amid reports of friction between the two.
Trump said that he had a "very good relationship" with Mattis and that the two had lunch together "two days ago", but the President added that "it could be that he "share.
"I think he's kind of a democrat, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. "But General Mattis is a good guy. We are getting along very well. He can leave. I mean, at one point, everyone leaves. Everybody. People are leaving. It is Washington. "
Mattis has often publicly denied some of Trump's most controversial statements on foreign policy, and the two have a tense relationship, said longtime journalist Bob Woodward, editor of the Washington Post, in his book "Fear".
In an episode, Woodward reported, Mattis described Trump as including "a fifth or sixth student" after a meeting of the National Security Council. In another episode, after Trump had announced his intention to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mattis would have accepted but would later told an assistant, "We will not do anything about it."
Mattis denied making derogatory comments about Trump, and the president said last month that the retired general "was doing a fantastic job."
Trump sometimes fought with Stahl during the interview, stating twice: "I'm not a baby," and an increasingly difficult point when Stahl tried to interrupt him to ask him a question.
"Lesley, I'm fine," Trump said. "In the meantime, I'm president and you're not."
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