Earlier today the Washington Post reported that President-elect Donald Trump had made his choice for Secretary of Defense, and although his team’s spokesperson Jason Miller at first stated no decision had been made, Trump made it official this afternoon.
At Trump’s first stop in Cincinnati on a “Thank You Tour” around the country, he told the crowd that he has chosen Marine General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as his Secretary of State.
Pres-elect @realDonaldTrump: “We are going to appoint ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as our Secretary of Defense.” #BREAKING
Retired General James Mattis is legendary throughout the armed forces for his tough talk and criticism of Obama’s approach to foreign affairs. He retired in 2013, which some theorized was a “forced” retirement due to his conflicts with the current administration, and will require a waiver from Congress to assume the position of Secretary f Defense since he has been in retirement less than 7 years.
In 2005, after commanding troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Mattis told an audience in San Diego:
“Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot,” Mattis said. “It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.”
Reading through his quotes, Mattis sounds like some Hollywood movie character along the genre of Clint Eastwood or Sylvester Stallone. You can imagine him thinking, “What would Rambo do if he was in my situation,” before he makes any tactical decisions.
Here are some of his finest quotes, courtesy of Free Beacon, and you can infer from these phrases that Mattis is indeed a “General’s General” more akin to Gen. George Patton than any of the military commanders that Obama has put into place over the years.
1. “I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.”2. “The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.”3. “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f–k with me, I’ll kill you all.”4. “Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they’re so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.”5. “Marines don’t know how to spell the word defeat.”6. “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”7. “The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.”8. “You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”9. “There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.”10. “No war is over until the enemy says it’s over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.”11. “There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It’s really great.”12. “You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it’s going to be bad.”
Donald Trump has a reputation for choosing individuals who he feels will perform the best in their positions, rather than basing his decisions on political or personal considerations. General Mattis certainly seems to fit the description as someone who will defend America’s interests first, and focus on winning military engagements, rather than making political statements or being preoccupied with injecting political correctness into the armed forces.