President Trump said Friday that he continues to believe torture methods can be effective to combat terrorism, but he pledged to defer over whether to implement such tactics to Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who has opposed them.
“He will override,” Trump said in a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the White House. “I’m giving him that power.”
During his campaign, Trump had expressed support for enhanced interrogation techniques, in particular simulated drowning known as waterboarding, which was forbidden by the Obama administration. His vow to allow Mattis to set the direction for his administration on the issue came on a day when Trump planned to visit the Pentagon and sign new executive actions related to national security, including the fight against terror groups such as the Islamic State.
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More News On President Trumps Remarks That U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis’s View On Torture Will ‘Override’
Trump says he will defer to Defense Secretary Mattis on waterboarding — Reuters
Trump vows to defer to Pentagon chief’s opposition to torture — AFP
Trump to Defer to Mattis on Keeping Torture Ban — Military.com
Trump: Mattis’s view on torture will ‘override’ — The Hill
President Trump Says He’ll Let Defense Secretary ‘Override’ Him on Torture Issue — ABC News
Donald Trump says he will leave torture decision to General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis — The Independent
