He is called “Mad Dog” Mattis and some would say the moniker is well-deserved, although he prefers to be called “Jim.” The general was confirmed as Secretary of Defense by Congress in January 2017.
Some of his more infamous quotes highlight his tough-as-nails, no-nonsense approach to things and have been reported by various media outlets.
From ABC News:
“Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people.”
CBS News shared this quote:
“There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don’t think you do. It’s just business.”
Politico chose this as one of their quotes from the general to highlight:
“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.”
And from The Atlantic comes this selected quote:
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
So after his Commander-in-Chief, President Donald J. Trump, sent out a tweet calling the press “the enemy of the American people…”
The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017
…General Mattis was asked during his trip to Europe and the Middle East about his thoughts on the matter. His response was unlike that of his boss and not quite what some would expect from a “Mad Dog.”
According to Reuters, the general had this to say on the matter:
“I’ve had some rather contentious times with the press. But no, the press, as far as I’m concerned, are a constituency that we deal with. And I don’t have any issues with the press, myself.”
