Defense Secretary Mattis Denies Comparing Trump to 'a Fifth- or Sixth-Grader'

In his new book, investigative journalist Bob Woodward recounts a meeting in which President Trump wondered why the United States was working to maintain security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. “We’re doing this in order to prevent World War III,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis responded. Woodward writes that after the meeting, “Mattis was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president acted like  and had the understanding of  ‘a fifth- or sixth-grader.’ ” That’s via The Washington Post, which published bits from the book on Tuesday.