WASHINGTON – Donald Trump says he’s smarter than your average president — so he doesn’t need daily intelligence briefings.
“I get it when I need it,” Trump told “Fox News Sunday,” explaining that he refuses the opportunity to be briefed daily by security professionals on classified threats the way President Obama is.
“I’m, like, a smart person. I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years – could be eight years. … I don’t need that.”
The boastful Trump who once said he knows more than the generals about fighting ISIS said he trusts the three generals he’s nominated for his cabinet and vice president- Elect Mike Pence who receive intelligence briefings regularly.
Trump is opting for weekly updates and said intelligence officials can always contact him if a situation has worsened.
“But I do say: ‘If something should change, let us know,’” Trump said.
In a rare extended interview since his election, Trump said he’s not “bound” to the One China policy unless China makes a new deal with him on trade, currency devaluation, North Korea and China’s island building in the South China Sea.
“I fully understand the One-China policy,” Trump said of the longstanding US policy Trump disrupted by taking a phone call from Taiwan’s president, “but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a One-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things.”
The New York billionaire is in the midst of trying to separate himself from his vast international business empire and leaving his namesake organization to his adult children.
“I am turning down billions of dollars of deals,” Trump said of his current involvement. “…I turned down seven deals with one big player, great player, last week, because I thought it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.”
But he dismissed criticism foreign governments are trying to curry favor with him through his businesses, such as foreign diplomats staying at Trump’s Washington hotel.
“When I ran everybody knew that I was a very big owner of real estate all over the world,” Trump said.
Trump said his adult children will “run” his company with executives, but then diminished their role when asked if they, too, could face conflicts of interests. “They’re not making deals either for my company,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Trump made clear his family part of White House decision making. He’d like eldest daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner “involved” in his administration depending on a review of ethics laws, as he confirmed they considering making a move to Washington DC. “We’re working that out right now, ” Trump said. “…I would love to be able to have them involved.”
Ivanka would like to take the lead on women’s issues and childcare, Trump said. “Nobody can do better than her.”
Kushner is so “talented” he could work on Middle East peace.
“I’d love to have Jared helping us on deals with other nations and see if we can do peace in the Middle East and other things,” Trump said. ”