President Donald Trump mentioned the prospect of a "nuclear holocaust" while answering a question on building a better relationship with Russia, Politico reports.
CBS reporter Major Garrett asked Trump about a series of incidents, including a Russian ship sailing close by a military facility in Connecticut and a Russian plane buzzing a U.S. vessel, which Trump described as "not good."
"All of those things that you've mentioned are very recent because probably Putin assumes that he's not going to be able to make a deal with me because it's politically not popular for me to make a deal," Trump said, adding that it's important that both nations, as nuclear powers, maintain positive relations.
"I don't know that we're going to make a deal," the president said. "I want to do the right thing for the American people, and to be honest, secondarily, I want to do the right thing for the world."
"Don't forget, we're a very powerful nuclear country, and so are they. There's no upside. We're a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. I have been briefed. And I can tell you, one thing about a briefing that we're allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it, nuclear holocaust would be like no other. They're a very powerful nuclear country, and so are we."
He added that it would be in everyone's best interests if the two nations got along.
Trump also flatly denied that he has any ties to Russia, according to The Washington Post, telling reporters, "I have nothing to do with Russia. I have no deals there. I don't know anything."
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