In a NYT interview Donald Trump reveals a change on his stance regarding torture.

On torture

“It’s not going to make the kind of a difference that maybe a lot of people think. If it’s so important to the American people, I would go for it. I would be guided by that. But General Mattis found it to be very less important, much less important than I thought he would say. I thought he would say — you know he’s known as Mad Dog Mattis, right? Mad Dog for a reason. I thought he’d say ‘It’s phenomenal, don’t lose it.’ He actually said, ‘No, give me some cigarettes and some drinks, and we’ll do better.’”

Back in February, when he was still a candidate, Mr. Trump said definitively that torture was effective. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work — torture works,” he told an audience in South Carolina. “O.K., folks? Torture, you know, half these guys: ‘Torture doesn’t work.’ Believe me, it works. O.K.?”

So Mr. Trump’s answer on Tuesday offered a revealing insight into his willingness to shift or rethink a position, especially after talking with someone he respects. Gen. James N. Mattis may well be Mr. Trump’s secretary of defense, and his rejection of torture clearly had an effect on the president-elect.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/your-guide-to-most-important-quotes-times-trump-interview.html?hpw&rref=politics&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well