U.S. Senate Confirms Retired Gen. James Mattis as Defense Secretary (Update: Mattis Sworn In)

MAD DOG MATTIS CONFIRMED!!!

The U.S. Senate has confirmed retired Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary.He will be a tremendous secretary of state and a great addition to President Donald Trump’s cabinet. Mattis is a Marine’s marine and a soldier’s soldier. He is exactly what our military needed.

The Senate confirmed James N. Mattis as President Trump’s defense secretary Friday, breaking with decades of precedent by making a recently retired general the Pentagon’s top civilian leader.

Mattis, 66, will lead the Defense Department’s 1.9 million active-duty service members and reservists and oversee a budget of more than $580 billion as Trump prepares to expand the military. He becomes the first senior military officer to serve as defense secretary since President Truman nominated Army Gen. George C. Marshall for the job in 1950, as the U.S. military struggled in the Korean War.

Many lawmakers and long-time foreign policy observers hope Mattis can be a moderating voice of experience in an administration that has notably few senior officials with national security experience in Washington.

UPDATE I: Retired Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis seen next to President Donald J. Trump at the Inauguration Day parade following his confirmation.

UPDATE II: Retired Gen. James Mattis sworn in as Defense Secretary.