Maybe the “Dog” really is mad?
I read Mattis’s bio in Wikipedia. Assuming it’s mostly correct although that’s my caveat...he’s extremely hard to categorize. Sometimes thought too military solution gung ho, other times thought too PC out the wazoo. Regardless of who was President or the various situations and reputations he has garnered, he rose to the top. His library is legendary and he prizes historical knowledge and what he views as scholarship of the highest order.
He appears to not have a personal life at least not that is established and known. Lifelong bachelor, never been married. Not even linked to anyone that was a noteworthy situation.
An odd bird, possibly.
Seems to revel in the particulars of a situation - viewed narrowly - and calls them each as he sees them without regard to the demands of coherency, with unfailing belief in his conclusions.
Unless there is something about Anne Patterson that we don’t know in which she has been doing intel behind the scenes by pretending something odious, publicly, this pick of her by Mattis appears to be MAD.