Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with reporters on his flight to Vietnam and answered questions about his relationship with President Donald Trump.
First up, Sec. Mattis didn’t even watch the “60 Minutes” segment that set the MSM on fire when the president said the retired 4 star general was “kind of a Democrat”:
NEW: has he spoken to Trump? Mattis says “No. I have not. Frankly, I didn't watch the interview, I didn't see it. So I read what's in your papers about it, but going through them; I haven't gotten through them all yet. “
— luis martinez (@LMartinezABC) October 15, 2018
Sec. Mattis hasn’t got time for your TV shows, guys:
When pressed, Mattis adds that he has not yet spoken to Trump about his comments. Says he didn’t watch the interview.
“We continue in the Department of Defense to do our job. It's no problem.”
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 15, 2018
As for the comment, Sec. Mattis is 100% on President Trump’s team:
NEW: headed to Vietnam Mattis is asked what he thinks of Trump’s comments on 60 Minutes that he is a Democrat & might leave: “Nothing at all. I'm on his team. We have never talked about me leaving. And as you can see right here, we're on our way. We just continue doing our job”
— luis martinez (@LMartinezABC) October 15, 2018
And on reports he’s leaving the Trump administration, Sec. Mattis said “We have never talked about me leaving”:
Mattis: “I'm on his team. We have never talked about me leaving.” Talking aboard an Air Force plane on his way to Vietnam he said, “and as you can see right here, we're on our way. We just continue doing our job.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
And now for the question if he’s “kind of a Democrat or not,” the answer is pure Mattis. He’s “proudly apolitical”:
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Q: Are you a Democrat?
SEC. MATTIS: You know, we're all built on our formative experiences.
When I was 18, I joined the Marine Corps, and in the U.S. military we are proudly apolitical….
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
2/ …By that, I mean that in our duties, we were brought up to obey the elected commander in chief, whoever that is. And we've seen, over those — since I was in the military longer than some of you have been alive, I have seen Republicans and Democrats come and go….
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
3/… Where am I today? I'm a member of the president's administration. And you have seen that President Trump's military policies, security policies, reaping significant bipartisan support….
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
4/… So my role…and I realize you all write about tension between this person and that, this administration and that party, and this sort of thing. But when you think 83 percent of the U.S. Congress voting the same way on an issue put forward by the Republican president…
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
5/ … you can see that my portfolio is bipartisan by its very basis, and that is the protection of the United States. That's what President Trump has told me to do, and I eagerly carry that out, alongside probably the most selfless young men and women…
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
6/ … — not all young; some old men and women, too — civilian and military, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines working together.
So that's where I stand. That defines me.— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
And boom. He’s “never registered for any political party”:
7/ Q: I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but you haven't registered Republican or Democrat. Is that what I'm hearing you say?
SEC. MATTIS: I've never registered for any political party.
###— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 16, 2018
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Related:
UPDATE: CNN reports that mail that tested positive for ricin was sent to SecDef James Mattis and Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson https://t.co/d16MoaHtk4
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 2, 2018
Such a PROFOUND bias! 60 Minutes and Leslie Stahl should be ASHAMED of these stats from Trump’s interview https://t.co/1y7qhsYxMF
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 15, 2018
ICYMI==> These are, BY FAR, the two best things spotted in Donald Trump's #60Minutes interview https://t.co/DMRNVpawgR
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 15, 2018