In an interview with The New York Times last Tuesday, his only comments on the issue since the election, Mr. Trump said he discussed the matter with James N. Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general who is under consideration for defense secretary. Like most American military leaders, he is opposed to the use of torture.
“I said, ‘What do you think of waterboarding?’ ” Mr. Trump said. “I was surprised. He said, ‘I’ve never found it to be useful.’ He said, ‘I’ve always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture.’ And I was very impressed by that answer.
via Donald Trump Faces Obstacles to Resuming Waterboarding – The New York Times.