A senior White House official in the administration "can't say" that US President Donald Trump "read every line and every word" of his 55-page National Security Strategy ahead of a speech to the country about it.
"He certainly had the document ... and has been briefed on it,” said Michael Anton, a deputy for strategic communications.
The document “is based on [Mr Trump’s] words. It’s based on his campaign speeches and his major speeches this year," Mr Anton told CNN after being pressed on the matter.
He noted that the President was directly involved in the drafting of the document, intended to outline high level security priorities that every administration has issued.
Mr Anton also confirmed Mr Trump was “ briefed on the final document several weeks ago.”
During his speech on the strategy, Mr Trump pushed his “America First” doctrine, adding that “America is in the game, and America is going to win.”
He named China and Russia as “rival powers” and said “while we seek such opportunities of cooperation, we will stand up for ourselves, and we will stand up for our country like we have never stood up before.”
He also emphasised that the strategy included a “serious plan to defend our homeland” based on a border wall with Mexico and limiting immigration.
“Our new strategy is based on a principle, realism,” Mr Trump said, adding that his administration is the first to recognise that American economic security is also related to national security.
Republicans in Congress are in the process of passing a tax reform bill which would result in lower taxes for some wealthy Americans.
