Trump takes Mattis on tour, warns “there’d be a lot of angry people” if he doesn’t get a waiver

(Fayetteville, NC) Before a cheering crowd in just outside the Army’s Fort Bragg base in North Carolina, Trump and Mattis stood before many in a city that borders Fort Bragg and other installations

“He’ll get that waiver, right?’ Trump told the crowd. “Oh, if he don’t get that waiver there’d be a lot of angry people,” Trump warned.

Trump spoke highly of Mattis taking full advantage of the star-power surrounding the military man- one he referred to as “a popular choice” who has “committed his life to his love for our country.”

“General Mattis is the living embodiment of the Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis – always faithful,” Trump said. “What a great guy he’s gonna be incredible, Mad Dog plays no games, right?”

The waiver in question revolves around a statute set after World War II which requires a veteran appointed to the head of Defense be out of uniform for at least seven years.

Still, Trump seems confident that Mattis will be the next Secretary of Defense.

Mattis “will now be the civilian leader atop the Department of Defense,” Trump noted.

The retired General Mattis was a man of carefully thought-out words at the event, who expressed professional optimism at the prospects of his new position.

“I look forward to being the civilian leader so long as the Congress gives me the waiver and the Senate votes to consent,” Mattis said.

Many in Congress -namely Democrats still in power after the massive Republican sweep during the election- have expressed their disdain over the idea of Mattis becoming Secretary of Defense, citing that the 7-year-rule is in place for a reason.

Head Democrat of the House Armed Services Committee and Washington state Representative Adam Smith thinks that Congress should not be too hasty to sign-off on Mattis’ waiver.

“We need to have a conversation about why the civilian control of the military is so important, and both the House and the Senate need to do their due diligence, asking General Mattis those questions- and have that debate, not just to rubber-stamp it,” he said.

Junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York -who also sits on the SASC- has vowed to oppose Mattis’ selection.

Speaking to a crowd on the eve of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Trump’s speech took a rather non-interventionist turn that hinted at military operations such as the anti-Assad campaign in Syria.

“We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about, that we shouldn’t be involved with. Instead, our focus must be on defeating terrorism and destroying ISIS, and we will,” Trump said.

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