President-elect Donald Trump confirmed reports that he would be nominating former Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as his pick for secretary of Defense during his first post-election rally Thursday.
The president-elect made a surprise announcement of the expected appointment during a rally in Cincinnati on Thursday night, as the crowd cheered wildly. ‘We are going to appoint Mad Dog Mattis as our secretary of defense,’ Trump said theatrically. He then added: ‘But we’re not announcing it till Monday, so don’t tell anyone.’
