U.S. President Donald Trump said in a television interview that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably” has been involved in assassinations and reiterated the assertion that Moscow meddled in U.S. politics, Radio Liberty reported.

Trump also said he does not know whether U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is planning to step down but that he sees the four-star general as “sort of a Democrat” who just might leave.

The comments came in a prerecorded interview with CBS television’s 60 Minutes program that aired on October 14. The wide-ranging discussion also touched on North Korea, U.S. hurricane relief efforts, the missing Saudi journalist in Turkey, and climate change.

CBS presenter Lesley Stahl asked Trump: "Do you agree that Vladimir Putin is involved in assassinations? In poisonings?"

Trump replied: "Probably he is, yeah. Probably." He then added: "But I rely on them. It’s not in our country."