Friday, January 27, 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said today his defense secretary's opposition to torture would override his own belief that enhanced interrogation "does work," addressing concerns about a return to Bush-era use of waterboarding and other especially harsh procedures.
Trump, joined by British Prime Minister Theresa May at a White House news conference, also said he had had a "very good call" with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto earlier in the day but reaffirmed his belief that Mexico has "outnegotiated and beat us to a pulp" on trade – and that would change.
"We're no longer going to be the country that doesn't know what it's doing," Trump declared.
Two issues – whether Trump would allow the use of torture and the U.S.-Mexico relationship – dominated the new president's brief news conference after his first meeting with another world leader.
Since taking office, Trump has signaled a renewed embrace of torture in the fight against Islamic extremism. But he said he would defer to the views of his defense secretary, James Mattis, who has questioned the effectiveness of such practices as waterboarding, which simulates drowning.
"He has stated publicly that he does not necessarily believe in torture or waterboarding, or however you want to define it – enhanced interrogation I guess would be a word that a lot of ... words that a lot of people would like to use. I don't necessarily agree. But I would tell you that he will override because I'm giving him that power. He's an expert," Trump said.
He called Mattis a "general's general," whom he would rely upon.