Trump touts good relations with ‘sort of a Democrat’ Mattis

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has a “very good relationship” with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis even though he thinks the Pentagon chief is “sort of a Democrat.”

Asked during a “60 Minutes” interview airing Sunday whether Mattis will step down, Trump says Mattis hasn’t told him that.

But Trump says: “It could be that he is. I think he’s sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth. But Gen. Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves.”

Asked about Trump’s remarks, a Pentagon spokesman says Mattis is “laser-focused on doing his job — ensuring the U.S. military remains the most lethal force on the planet.”

CBS News released a clip of the interview before Sunday’s broadcast.