Trump did his first president-ish interview with 60 Minutes, and CBS provided the transcript. We don’t have to wait for the stupidity, he leads with it. Lesley Stahl asks him if he still thinks climate change is “a hoax.”

I think something’s happening. Something’s changing and it’ll change back again. I don’t think it’s a hoax, I think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s manmade. I will say this. I don’t wanna give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don’t wanna lose millions and millions of jobs. I don’t wanna be put at a disadvantage.

Dear god. It’s changing and it’ll change back again. What’s that supposed to mean, and how does he think he knows that? And what is “something”? And then the abrupt lurch back to what he can manage to understand: munneee.

He says the idiotic thing again. “I’m not denying climate change. But it could very well go back.” Sure, it’s like a rubber band, it could just snap back.

Stahl does needle him about his sloppy attributions.

President Donald Trump: –of years. They say that we had hurricanes that were far worse than what we just had with Michael.

Lesley Stahl: Who says that? “They say”?

President Donald Trump: People say. People say that in the–

Lesley Stahl: Yeah, but what about the scientists who say it’s worse than ever?

“They say”; “people say”; he’s an idiot.

He gets mushy about Kim.

President Donald Trump: No I’m not doing it. This isn’t the Obama administration. I haven’t eased the sanctions. I haven’t done anything. I haven’t done anything. We’re meeting. I believe he likes me. I like him. We have a good relationship. It’s very important.

President Trump at rally: “And then we fell in love, okay. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters. And they’re great letters. We fell in love.”

Lesley Stahl: I wanna read you his resume, okay? He presides over a cruel kingdom of repression, gulags, starvation– reports that he had his half-brother assassinated, slave labor, public executions. This is a guy you love?

President Donald Trump: Sure. I know all these things. I mean– I’m not a baby. I know these things.

Lesley Stahl: I know, but why do you love that guy?

President Donald Trump: Look, look. I– I– I like– I get along with him, okay?

Lesley Stahl: But you love him.

President Donald Trump: Okay. That’s just a figure of speech.

Lesley Stahl: No, it’s like an embrace.

President Donald Trump: It well, let it be an embrace. Let it be whatever it is to get the job done.

Lesley Stahl: He’s a bad guy.

President Donald Trump: Look. Let it be whatever it is. I get along with him really well. I have a good energy with him. I have a good chemistry with him. Look at the horrible threats that were made. No more threats. No more threats.

A good energy. A good chemistry. That’s what it’s all about. Trump’s infinite charm will save the world.

Also, he knows more than anyone else. About everything.

President Donald Trump: Now, I like NATO, NATO’s fine. But you know what? We shouldn’t be paying almost the entire cost of NATO to protect Europe. And then on top of that, they take advantage of us on trade. They’re not going to do it anymore. They understand that.

Lesley Stahl: Okay, but are, it does seem this, are you willing to disrupt the Western Alliance? It’s been going for 70 years. It’s kept the peace for 70 years.

President Donald Trump: You don’t know that. You don’t know that.

Lesley Stahl: I don’t know what?

President Donald Trump: You don’t know that.

Lesley Stahl: Is it true General Mattis said to you, “The reason for NATO and the reason for all these alliances is to prevent World War III?”

President Donald Trump: No, it’s not true.

Lesley Stahl: What’s not true?

President Donald Trump: Frankly, I like General Mattis. I think I know more about it than he does. And I know more about it from the standpoint of fairness, that I can tell you.

He thinks he knows more about it than Mattis does. He knows less about it than Mattis’s dog does.