Secretary of Defense James Mattis appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" this morning and spoke with John Dickerson about a number of national security issues, including ISIS, North Korea, the Manchester bombing, NATO, and the Paris climate agreement.
Mattis, a retired General and former Commander of the United States Central Command, had a storied Marine career and was hailed as "The most revered Marine of his generation" upon his retirement in 2013. To say that he's probably seen some things is an understatement.
He's previously said, “I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.”
What does he lose sleep over? Dickerson asked him what keeps him awake at night:
Sec. Mattis on what keeps him awake at night pic.twitter.com/KtNgTfYeB2
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 28, 2017
His answer? "Nothing. I keep other people awake at night."
Exactly the attitude ISIS, North Korea, and anyone else who seeks to harm the United States needs to see from our military.
Given that a well-known Mattism (the name reporters have given his phrases) is "Be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet," this answer shouldn't be surprising at all.