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Mattis Expected to Be Tapped by President Hillary Clinton. He Got Trump Instead.
Daily Beast ^ | 12.21.2018 | Erin Banco, Asawin Suebsaeng

Posted on 12/24/2018 7:22:55 PM PST by libh8er

[The outgoing defense secretary had a good rapport with the 2016 Democratic nominee. Not so much with the president he ultimately worked for.]

During the 2016 presidential campaign, James Mattis predicted that he would be courted to serve in a Hillary Clinton administration in the likelihood that she would win the presidency. Instead, Mattis ended up working nearly two years as Secretary of Defense for Donald Trump, a president who routinely undermined his own national security team and would mock Mattis by calling him a “Democrat” or “Moderate Dog.”

Mattis' resignation on Thursday, though abrupt, came as no surprise to those who knew him and had worked alongside him in the Pentagon.

In a series of meetings with colleagues at the beginning of the administration, Mattis said he was originally surprised to get a call from the Trump team asking him to take the post of defense secretary, according to two sources with who attended those meetings. He told several people that had Clinton won the election, he thought he would have agreed to serve on her team.

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hillary; hillaryclinton; jamesmattis; mattis; moderatedog; trump
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1 posted on 12/24/2018 7:22:55 PM PST by libh8er
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To: libh8er

ROFLOL.

“Routinely undermined his own national security team” translates to the president routinely did what he said he was going to do, and his “team” routinely undermined the boss and, ultimately, the people.


2 posted on 12/24/2018 7:27:51 PM PST by petitfour (APPEAL TO HEAVEN)
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To: libh8er

so he was a bit of a democrat after all.


3 posted on 12/24/2018 7:30:56 PM PST by proust (Justice delayed is injustice.)
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To: petitfour

No core values. It’s an insult to suggest it even when it’s true. The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed BJ in 96’ over Dole. It’s no secret who’s tougher on crime. It’s their power and their interests they stand for. Not what they are sworn to do.


4 posted on 12/24/2018 7:32:39 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: libh8er

His Senate confirmation vote was 99-1. That should have been a giant red flag right there.


5 posted on 12/24/2018 7:33:15 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("I'm a cool dude in a loose mood! Hey -- two ginger ales for my girls!")
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To: libh8er

“Moderate Dog” — LOL


6 posted on 12/24/2018 7:34:26 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: libh8er

A reliable source told me that President Trump, back in January, 11 months ago, told Mattis he wanted a plan to get out of Syria by the end of the year...

and basically, the high-and-mighty Mattis totally gaffed him off and didn’t come up with anything.

Trump called him on it, for sure, and let him resign rather than fire him.

Another “resistance” pro-global warming liberal. What is it about these military leaders and their liberal elitism?

Trump should have fired him long, long ago.


7 posted on 12/24/2018 7:50:00 PM PST by detch (")
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To: libh8er

Mattis was hired because Trump thought Mattis was a MILITARY MAN, not a POLITICAL WHORE.

Mattis sure proved Trump WRONG.


8 posted on 12/24/2018 8:00:45 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: libh8er
Mattis, as a four star general, worked for Obama for four years.

Obama actually nominated Mattis to be commander of U.S. Central Command.

Obama could have “retired” Mattis at age 62.

Instead, Obama retained Mattis until Mattis was almost 63.

Bottom Line - why has Trump retained - or nominated - so many people that clearly got along well with Barack Obama?

9 posted on 12/24/2018 8:04:53 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: UCANSEE2

“...Mattis sure proved Trump WRONG.....”
He proved many of us wrong.
He was a closet lib in patriot clothing....nothing any worse.


10 posted on 12/24/2018 8:06:47 PM PST by lgjhn23 (It's easy to be liberal when you're dumber than a box of rocks.)
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To: zeestephen

Mattis pinned his first star on under Clinton. That should have also been a warning. In retrospect, any leader that became an O-6 or higher under Clinton or Obama is suspect. It doesn’t mean they are all bad but it does mean they should be examined with a fine toothed comb. I know plenty of O-6s and above that pinned on during those two administrations that are fine conservatives. I also know plenty of snakes.


11 posted on 12/24/2018 8:13:46 PM PST by NELSON111 (Congress: The Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog show. Theater for sheep. My politics determines my "hero")
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To: proust
so he was a bit of a democrat after all.

Considering that he opposed the President’s decision to withdraw from the Paris “climate change” accords, opposed decertifying the Obama-Iran deal, and is a supporter of trannies in the military, I'd say he was more than a bit of a Donkey. Good riddance to leftist globalist trash.

12 posted on 12/24/2018 8:14:41 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: libh8er

But but *someone* or some *letter* gave the impression he is involved with the Gitmo MilTribunals ?!


13 posted on 12/24/2018 8:17:07 PM PST by PraiseTheLord (.Q.)
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To: libh8er

President Trump tells EVERYONE on the campaign trail his core objective was to get out of Syria..he does, now lefties are upset that he kept his PROMISE


14 posted on 12/24/2018 8:17:10 PM PST by Sarah Barracuda
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To: libh8er

It’s good that Trump got him out right now, instead of waiting for the two more months Mattis wanted. The media are trying to convey that Trump moved the departure date up solely because of pique, but something else was up.

If Mattis stayed two more months, he could have been up to all sorts of mischief, like leading an inside insurrection against Trump, trying to get him to reverse policy, etc.

Then, also, a NATO defense ministers meeting was scheduled for February which apparently Mattis was anxious to attend. What would be the sense of Mattis representing the US at that, as he wouldn’t be representing the President’s policy - only trying to undermine it?


15 posted on 12/24/2018 8:18:38 PM PST by Hartmann
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To: lgjhn23
He proved many of us wrong.

I had a completely different opinion of him when Trump first floated his name. How wrong I was.

16 posted on 12/24/2018 8:20:29 PM PST by libh8er
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To: Hartmann
he could have been up to all sorts of mischief, like leading an inside insurrection against Trump

Exactly. I wonder where the initial Feb 1st date came from. Is it something Trump wanted to allow himself enough time to find a suitable replacement, or something Mattis insisted on (to plan his mischief). Regardless, Trump did the right thing in kicking him out ASAP.

17 posted on 12/24/2018 8:26:40 PM PST by libh8er
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To: Alberta's Child
His Senate confirmation vote was 99-1. That should have been a giant red flag right there.

I felt the same way in 1970 when Harry Blackmun was confirmed by a vote of 94-0 when President Nixon nominated him to the Supreme Court. Nixon's previous nominees, Southern conservatives, had been voted down by the Senate, so when Blackmun sailed through, I was suspicious. Our suspicions about Blackmun were confirmed when he wrote Roe v. Wade.

18 posted on 12/24/2018 8:39:51 PM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: NELSON111
Re: “Mattis pinned his first star on under Clinton.”

Thanks. I completely missed that. So, he got three stars from Bush Two, which, now that I think about it, is not a great recommendation, either.

My personal opinion - In November 2016, Trump was completely and inexcusably unprepared to choose senior and deputy executives for his administration.

Also, since Trump spent most of his adult life around Democrats, I think he was completely unprepared for the extreme political tensions within the Republican Party between Evangelicals, Movement Conservatives, Libertarians, Neo-Cons, Corporatists, and center-left RINOs.

19 posted on 12/24/2018 9:08:07 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: Fiji Hill

Mattis should never have agreed to work for Trump. He’s old enough to turn it over to someone else. To think that he would stick around with this result suggests an ulterior motive.


20 posted on 12/24/2018 9:12:24 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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