OF ISSUES. PETER ALEXANDER IS AT THE WHITE
HOUSE WITH THE WHOLE STORY.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> Reporter: GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
YOU. IN THAT INTERVIEW WITH "60
MINUTES," HE BACKED OFF OF THE
CLAIM THAT CLIMATE CHANGE WAS A
HOAX.
HOAX. IT COMES AS THE PRESIDENT AND
FIRST LADY HEAD TO FLORIDA AND
GEORGIA TO TOUR AREAS DEVASTATED
BY HURRICANE MICHAEL.
>> I THINK SOMETHING’S
HAPPENING, SOMETHING’S CHANGING,
AND IT WILL CHANGE BACK AGAIN.
I DON’T THINK IT’S A HOAX.
THERE’S PROBABLY A DIFFERENCE.
I DON’T KNOW THAT IT’S MANMADE.
I WILL SAY THIS -- I DON’T KNOW
WANT TO GIVE TRILLIONS AND
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS, I DON’T
WANT TO LOSE MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF JOBS.
>> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP
ECHOING MELANIA TRUMP’S DISTRUST
OF SOME IN HIS WEST WING.
>> I FEEL THE SAME WAY.
I DON’T TRUST EVERYBODY IN THE
WHITE HOUSE, I’LL BE HONEST WITH
YOU.
YOU. >> Reporter: ADDING HE HAS BEEN
SURPRISED OF THE NO-HOLDS-BARRED
NATURE OF POLITICS.
>> THIS IS THE MOST DECEPTIVE,
VICIOUS WORLD.
VICIOUS WORLD. IT IS VICIOUS.
IT’S FULL OF LIES, DECEIT AND
DECEPTION.
DECEPTION. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
TELEGRAPHING MORE TURNOVER IN
HIS ADMINISTRATION.
HIS ADMINISTRATION. RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS WHETHER
JIM MATTIS WILL STEP DOWN.
>> I THINK HE’S SORT OF A
DEMOCRAT, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE TRUTH.
THE TRUTH. BUT GENERAL MATTIS IS A GOOD
GUY.
GUY. WE GET ALONG WELL.
HE MAY LEAVE.
AT SOME POINT, EVERYBODY LEAVES.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
CALLING THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION UNFAIR, WHILE
REFUSING TO PLEDGE THAT HE WON’T
SHUT IT DOWN.
>> WHY WOULD I PLEDGE TO YOU?
YOU THINK I WOULD CALL RUSSIA TO
HELP ME WITH AN ELECTION?
GIVE ME A BREAK.
THEY WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO HELP ME
AT ALL.
AT ALL. CALL RUSSIA, SO RIDICULOUS.
>> Reporter: HE WAS PUSHING BACK
IN THE EMBRACE OF KIM JONG-UN,
AFTER THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED
BY THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER.
>> I’M NOT A BABY.
>> I KNOW, BUT WHY DO YOU LOVE
THAT GUY?
THAT GUY? >> I GET ALONG WITH HIM.
>> YOU SAID I LOVE HIM.
>> THAT’S JUST A FIGURE OF
SPEECH.
SPEECH. >> IT’S LIKE AN EMBRACE.
>> LET IT BE AN EMBRACE.
>> BUT HE’S A BAD GUY.
>> LET IT BE WHATEVER IT IS.
I GET ALONG WITH HIM REALLY
WELL.
WELL. >> Reporter: AND PRESIDENT TRUMP
CLAIMING CREDIT FOR HIS SUPREME
COURT PICK, BRETT KAVANAUGH,
ANSWERING TO CRITICISM AFTER HE
MIMICKED CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD.
>> HOW DID YOU GET HOME?
I DON’T KNOW.
HOW DID YOU GET THERE?
I DON’T REMEMBER.
SHE DIDN’T SEEM TO KNOW ANYTHING
AND YOU’RE TRYING TO DESTROY THE
LIFE OF A MAN WHO HAS BEEN
EXTRAORDINARY.
EXTRAORDINARY. >> WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE FUN
OF HER?
OF HER? >> I DIDN’T MAKE FUN.
>> THEY WERE LAUGHING.
>> THE PERSON WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT DIDN’T KNOW THE YEAR, THE
TIME, THE PLACE.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
RELISHING THE CHANCE TO JOUST
WITH A HIGH-PROFILE JOURNALIST.
>> IT’S OKAY.
IN THE MEANTIME, I’M PRESIDENT
AND YOU’RE NOT.
>> OKAY, PETER.
FROM WAS A
THERE WAS A LOT IN THAT
INTERVIEW TO TALK ABOUT.
HE WAS ASKED POINTEDLY ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN.
PUTIN. TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> Reporter: HE REVEALED HOW HE
VIEWS RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF
THE LONG-TIME ADVERSARIES.
ON RUSSIA, DISMISSING THE
GRAVITY OF VLADIMIR PUTIN’S
RUTHLESS BEHAVIOR.
RUTHLESS BEHAVIOR. HE WAS ASKED IF HE BELIEVES
PUTIN WAS INVOLVED IN
ASSASSINATIONS AND POISONINGS.
AND THE PRESIDENT SAID HE IS
PROBABLY INVOLVED.
PROBABLY INVOLVED. BUT HE RELIES ON HIM.
IT’S NOT IN OUR COUNTRY,
PUNCTUATING HIS AMERICA FIRST
POLICY, EVEN IF IT MEANS LOOKING