Reporter Faces the Wrath of Mattis After Asking Him If He Read Anti-Trump Book
Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog” Mattis has become well-known for his short, no-nonsense answers to seemingly ridiculous questions from reporters.
Though one would certainly not expect it, given the dry delivery and straight-faced manner with which Mattis deals with journalists, he is actually quite funny as well.
The Independent Journal Review just reported on the hilariously cutting answer Mattis gave to a reporter who asked him about the absurd new book “Fire and Fury” by author Michael Wolff about President Donald Trump’s White House that has the liberal media in an uproar.
Asked if he had read the anti-Trump book in which he is mentioned, Mattis replied, “No, I’m a little busy, these days, actually doing my job, you know?”
The reporter pressed and stated, “It’s a quick read. I’m already halfway through it.”
Mattis shot back to laughter from the crowd of reporters, “Yes, but you’re one of those literate intellectuals.”
According to a Defense Department transcript of Mattis’ media availability on Friday, the secretary added that he purposefully doesn’t read books in which he is mentioned.
“No, I don’t — I don’t — I purposely don’t read that,” he said of the anti-Trump book. “And, if it’s a book with my name in it, the aide puts sticky — double stickies over it, so I don’t read about myself.”
But the transcript also revealed that the remark from Mattis regarding the anti-Trump book wasn’t his only quotable quip from the briefing that day.
After fielding a variety of questions in regard to the recent announcement of foreign aid to Pakistan being cut, the ongoing protests in Iran and the opening of talks between North and South Korea — just in time for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Seoul — among other subjects, Mattis was asked if he had any particular major military concerns for the new year.
“I don’t think I have any. You know?” was the response from Mattis, to which the reporter insisted he pick one.
Mattis replied, as only Mattis can, “I’d be hard pressed. As you know, I don’t have concerns, I create them.”
That response from the retired Marine general is on par with his famed reply in 2017 about what sort of worries keep him up at night, to which he remarked, “Nothing, I keep other people awake at night.”
If ever there was a perfect person to fill the role of defense secretary — or as some fans like to call him, the “Secretary of War” — James Mattis fits the bill.
While we love Secretary Mattis for the manner in which he fearlessly leads our nation’s armed forces, we aren’t ashamed to admit that we are absolutely enthralled by the hilarious way in which he handles ludicrous questions from an ignorant media.
Please share this on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the latest quotable quips from “Mad Dog” Mattis to the media.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
