WH official: ‘I can’t say’ Trump has read entire national security strategy

A White House spokesman on Monday couldn’t say whether President Trump had read the administration’s new national security strategy in its entirety.

The comment came after CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked national security spokesman Michael Anton if Trump had read all of the 55-page strategy document rolled out earlier Monday. 

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“The president has been involved in the drafting of it from the beginning, has been presented with sections of it over the past many months and was briefed on the final document several weeks ago,” Anton replied. 

“The president himself personally led the presentation of the document to his Cabinet only about a week ago,” he added.

“But has he read the whole document?” Blitzer pressed.

“I can’t say that he’s read every line and every word. He certainly had the document … and has been briefed on it,” Anton said.

He then insisted the document “is based on [Trump’s] words. It’s based on his campaign speeches and his major speeches this year.”

The White House published the new strategy shortly before Trump made a speech about it in Washington. 

The document — the administration’s first major attempt at forming Trump’s “America First” worldview into a comprehensive strategy — envisions confrontations with powers like Russia and China that are working against U.S. interests.