Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says it is the view of Russian President Vladmir Putin that the United States "has been interfering in his politics for years." Gates believes, "he has decided, in a very strategic way, to turn the tables." He also talks about President Trump's leadership qualities:



Full interview:



Transcript:





DICKERSON: What’s your sense overall of President Trump as an unpredictable leader.



ROBERT GATES, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Broadly philosophically. I am in agreement with his disruptive approach. So, in government, I’m a strong believer in the need for reform of government agencies and departments. They – they have gotten fat and sloppy and they’re not user friendly. They are inefficient. They cost too much.



I also think, on the foreign policy side, that there is a need for disruption. You know, we’ve had three administrations follow a pretty consistent policy toward North Korea and it really hasn’t gotten us anywhere. So the notion of disrupting and sort of putting the Chinese on notice that it’s no longer business as usual for the United States I think is a good thing.



Now, the question is, obviously in – in the implantation of disruption. On the foreign policy side, there’s the risk of being to spontaneous and to disruptive, where you end up doing more harm than damage. And figuring out that – that balance is where having strong people around you matters.