Gates: In Private Meetings, Trump’s Very ‘Thoughtful’ and Gracious

EXCERPT:

GATES: "Well, I think that they are sort of parallel universes here. There is — for the administration, there is the sort of public piece that includes the tweets and things said to the press and so on and so forth. And that sometimes can be pretty jarring. And then there is the serious policy making side and the Donald Trump that people see in private meetings who is thoughtful and considered and takes things and listens to people, seeks out other people’s points of view and then makes decisions. And I think the thing we’re going to have to pay closest attention to is actually what he does. As he gets distracted by criticism, we can't be distracted too much by some of the things that are said publicly. But by the same token, the administration needs to understand that first universe of public commentary does have impact on the second."