Humza Yousaf has claimed the Scottish Government is performing "quite well" despite the SNP dealing with a high-profile police investigation into its finances.
The First Minister also said his party's powersharing deal with the Greens was "worth its weight in gold" after a flagship recycling policy was delayed again following uproar from businesses.
The new SNP leader insisted he now had "to make sure I steer the party through what are probably some of its choppiest waters".
His government has already delayed the introduction of the deposit return scheme (DRS) until next year after repeated warnings it could devastate small businesses.
And he faced a backlash last week after suggesting the roll-out of universal free school meals for all primary school pupils could be halted.
Yousaf succeeded Nicola Sturgeon in March following a bitter leadership contest that saw him narrowly defeat Kate Forbes.
The SNP then plunged into chaos when police arrested Peter Murrell, the party's former chief executive, on April 6 in connection with Operation Branchform.
Detectives questioned Murrell, Sturgeon's husband, for several hours before later releasing him without charge, pending further investigation.
Officers searched the couple's house in Glasgow over two days and while also targeting the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.
Colin Beattie, a serving MSP and the SNP party treasurer, was also arrested last month and questioned before being released without charge.
Yousaf described the arrests as "really gut wrenching".
"Frankly, I couldn’t quite believe the news," he told Holyrood magazine.
"But then I also understood the magnitude of the impact it would have on the politics, but also, frankly, on the party, as well. But my job is to lead, and I’ve got to make sure I steer the party through what are probably some of its choppiest waters."
He added: "But what I found in the last few weeks, and I’ve even heard some of our opponents begrudgingly admit, is that actually the government side of things has gone quite well.
“I would say that, of course, but I think we’ve been able to send clear signals about what we’re intending to come forward with in terms of some of the early policies which drive that direction of travel.
"We’ve been able to begin the process of refresh and resetting some of the important relationships with business. But yes, I feel frustration, of course, that it has been overshadowed, totally, by what’s happened in the past."
Yousaf also defended the powersharing deal with the Greens despite criticism from some SNP members. He added: "The Greens will push us hard on a number of issues, and they’ll have to compromise on issues, it involves us having to compromise, and that’s not a bad way at all of doing politics. But for me as First Minister, having that majority in the chamber is worth its weight in gold."
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