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Will ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis challenge Trump in 2020 GOP presidential primary?

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The setting is Singapore, early June 2017, at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, a regional security summit in Asia.  U.S. Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis has just spoken about the threat posed to the world by North Korea, as well as the potential positive benefit of the United States-China relationship on a host of issues. 

Then he is asked during a question and answer session if the American-led global political order is in the process of being dismantled.  His answer, per Defense News, was “like it or not, we are part of the world,” while insisting that the United States will “still be there.”  Mattis also asked for patience from America’s regional allies, and stated,

Bear with us, once we have exhausted all possible alternatives, the Americans will do the right thing.”

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Comments

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  • Frumentarius

    Good points!

  • William S

    Nothing wrong with some good speculation! Personally, I love Mattis as SecDef. I don't know that that automatically translates into loving him as POTUS. I'd have to hear his positions on the many items outside of his current national defense portfolio. Also, Mattis is popular with the media, etc. right now - because he is not yet running and he is a convenient foil for Trump. Much like McCain was a media darling for years - up until he was the actual GOP nominee. Miraculously, by the next day, they turned on him. He was suddenly wrong for the country in their eyes. McChrystal was another one that was popular to speculate about running for POTUS. Ironically, it was mostly conservatives who fantasized about him running for office. I suppose they presumed he had established conservative bona fides because he led JSOC, or because of the things his staff said during happy hour. In fact, he is a lifelong liberal and a strong supporter of Obama. Which is fine, but the lesson is to not presume the conventional perception matches the actual man.

  • samuel k

    Gen. Mattis would break Trump in a presidential race. lol. But why didnt he run in 2016? dont make him do it Mr. Trump

  • Candy3225

    Oh Frumentarius...do you miss the chaos of a Presidential Election so much, that you are starting the dialogue already??? I thought only Hillary Clinton started the Presidential Race this early! Please, Fru, can we at least have another six months of HC-free politics??? Unless it's an announcement that for SOME reason, that the witch is going to prison!!! I would welcome that news, quite joyfully!!!

  • Ron M

    To correct myself, I was going to "ad-lib" what the general said, then decided to google it. I did not remember what he actually said. :D