Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is denying he uttered comments critical of President Donald Trump that are contained in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.
Mattis said Tuesday in a statement: "The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence."
The book recounts that Mattis told "close associates that the president acted like — and had the understanding of — 'a fifth- or sixth-grader.'"
Mattis says in the statement: "While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility."
Mattis says the notion that he would "show contempt" for Trump or "tolerate disrespect" to the office of the President of the United States "is a product of someone's rich imagination."