Donald Trump administration Secretary of Defense appointment, 2017

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Following his election as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his transition team considered individuals to fill the position of Secretary of Defense. The secretary of defense works with the president and the National Security Council to decide security needs, as well as necessary plans of action to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of the country. Retired Gen. James Mattis was nominated for the position on December 1, 2016,

Nomination tracker
Candidate: James Mattis
Position: Secretary of Defense
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	December 1, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 12, 2017
a	Committee:	Senate Armed Services Committee
a	Reported:	January 18, 2017, (26-1)
a	Confirmed:	January 20, 2017
a	Vote:	98-1

To read more about the U.S. Department of Defense and its current staff, click here.

Timeline

See also: James Mattis

The following timeline highlights noteworthy events related to this appointment.

• December 1, 2016: Trump nominated James Mattis for the position at a "thank you" rally in Cincinnati, Ohio.

• At the time of the announcement, Mattis had been retired for three years, so he required an exemption from Congress to bypasss the federal law that requires a secretary of defense to be out of active duty for seven years prior to appointment.

• January 12, 2017: Mattis appeared before the Senate Committee on Armed Services for a nomination hearing.
• January 20, 2017: The U.S. Senate voted 98-1 to confirm Mattis. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) cast the only vote against Mattis.

Policy stances

During his confirmation hearing, Mattis outlined the following policy stances:

• On military spending. Mattis commented on military spending in his opening remarks, saying that one of his top priorities as secretary of defense would be “to bring business reforms to the Department of Defense by instilling budget discipline and holding our leaders accountable.” He added, “ I will be committed to earning the trust and confidence of the Congress – and the American people – that the Department is the best possible steward of taxpayer money.”

• On Russia. Asked by committee chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on how he thinks the U.S. should respond to Russian military activity and foreign policy, Mattis said, “Since Yalta, we have a long list of times that we've tried to engage positively with Russia. We have a relatively short list of successes in that regard. And right now, I think the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we are dealing with with Mr. Putin and that we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic alliance, and we take the steps, the integrated steps, the diplomatic, economic, military and the Alliance steps in working with our allies to defend ourselves where we must.”

• On women in the military. Asked by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) if he intends to roll back the opening of infantry positions to women in the military. Mattis responded, “I've never come into any job with an agenda, a preformed agenda of changing anything. I come in assuming the people before me deserve respect for the job they did and the decisions they've made.” Pressed further on the issue and asked about past statements he has made in opposition to women serving in infantry positions, Mattis said, “I have no plan to oppose women in any aspect of our military. In 2003, I had hundreds of Marines who happened to be women serving in my 23,000-person Marine division. ... I put them right on the front lines alongside everyone else.”

• On the Iran nuclear deal. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) asked Mattis about his views on the Iran nuclear deal. Mattis, in April 2016, called Iran “the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East.” In response to Reed’s question, he said, “I think it is an imperfect arms control agreement — it’s not a friendship treaty. But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.” In March 2016, Trump said he intended to dismantle the deal. Trump stated, “My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran.”

• On LGBTQ service members. Asked by Sen. Gillibrand if allowing LGBTQ individuals to serve in the military undermines U.S. military performance, Mattis responded, “Frankly, senator, I've never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with. … My concern is on the readiness of the force to fight and to make certain that it is at the top of its game.”

• Civilian control of the military. In his opening statement, Mattis stressed what he saw as the importance of civilian control over the military. He said, “Civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition. From day one service members swear an oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution; they see photos of the nation’s civilian leaders prominently displayed above their uniformed leadership; and they are imbued with the principle that our nation’s elected and appointed leaders control the use of our military. It is a hallmark of America’s military that service members take pride in our country’s adherence to that principle, and it is a hallmark espoused by every U.S. military leader I have observed. … Civilian leaders bear these responsibilities because the esprit-de-corps of our military, its can-do spirit, and its obedience to civilian leadership reduces the inclination and power of the military to criticize or oppose the policy it is ultimately ordered to implement.”

James Mattis confirmation vote, January 20, 2017
Party	Votes for a	Votes against d	Total votes
Democrats	45	1	46
Republicans	51	0	51
Independents	2	0	2
Total Votes	98	1	99

Reactions to Mattis’ appointment

Republican lawmakers expressed enthusiasm for Mattis’ nomination, while Democrats spoke about his record of service and qualifications for the job. Democrats voiced concern over granting Mattis the waiver that he needed in order to serve in the position.

• Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee—the committee with jurisdiction over secretary of defense nominations—said, “General Mattis has a clear understanding of the many challenges facing the Department of Defense, the U.S. military, and our national security. America will be fortunate to have General Mattis in its service once again.”

• Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in November 2016, before the news of Mattis’ nomination, “It is clear that General Mattis is a respected Marine and strategic thinker who served with honor and distinction. What is less clear is how Congress would go about changing the law to allow him or any recently retired senior officer to serve as the head of the Pentagon. That would require ‎a debate about our Constitutional principle of civilian control of the military and passing a new bill.”

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a series of tweets on December 1, 2016, “General Mattis would be an outstanding choice to serve as our next Secretary of Defense. During his decades of service in the Marines, Gen. Mattis was widely respected by the troops under his command and his peers in uniform. General Mattis will provide great leadership to the Department of Defense and President-elect Trump will find his advice to be invaluable. I’m confident the waiver allowing Gen. Mattis to serve as Sec of Defense will be approved by Congress. I look forward to his confirmation.”

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “While I deeply respect General Mattis’s service, I will oppose a waiver. Civilian control of our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception to this rule.”

Considered candidates for Secretary of Defense

The table below highlights individuals who were either nominated to the position by Trump or were mentioned in the media as potential nominees.

Considered candidates for Secretary of Defense
Name	Notable experience	Source
Jeff Sessions	Senator from Alabama	Politico
Stephen Hadley	Former NSA advisor	Politico
Jim Talent	Former Senator from Missouri	Politico
Michael Flynn	Former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency	The New York Times
Jon Kyl	Former Senator from Arizona	The New York Times
Duncan Hunter	U.S. Representative from California	Buzzfeed
Jim Woolsey	Former director of central intelligence	Politico
Tom Cotton	U.S. Senator from Arkansas	The Washington Post
Kelly Ayotte	Outgoing U.S. Senator from New Hampshire	The Washington Post
Jack Keane*	Retired Army General	NPR
James Mattis	Retired Marine General	Politico
Rick Perry	Former Gov. of Texas	Politico
*According to NPR, Keane was offered the position but declined.

See also

Executive Branch portal U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of the Treasury U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

External links

• Official Secretary of Defense website