This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/18/james-mattis-mocks-donald-trump-overrated-general
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'He earned his spurs from a doctor': James Mattis mocks Trump | 'He earned his spurs from a doctor': James Mattis mocks Trump |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The former US defence secretary James Mattis has laughed off an insult hurled at him by Donald Trump. | The former US defence secretary James Mattis has laughed off an insult hurled at him by Donald Trump. |
| Speaking at a New York charity event on Thursday, the day after the US president demeaned him as “the world’s most overrated general”, Mattis joked that he took it as a compliment. | Speaking at a New York charity event on Thursday, the day after the US president demeaned him as “the world’s most overrated general”, Mattis joked that he took it as a compliment. |
| “I’m not just an overrated general. I’m the greatest, the world’s most overrated,” he told diners at the annual Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation dinner. | “I’m not just an overrated general. I’m the greatest, the world’s most overrated,” he told diners at the annual Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation dinner. |
| “I’m honoured to be considered that by Donald Trump because he also called Meryl Streep an overrated actress,” he said. “So I guess I’m the Meryl Streep of generals, and frankly that sounds pretty good to me.” | “I’m honoured to be considered that by Donald Trump because he also called Meryl Streep an overrated actress,” he said. “So I guess I’m the Meryl Streep of generals, and frankly that sounds pretty good to me.” |
| "I’m not just an overrated general. I’m the most overrated general," Mattis says. "I'm honored to be considered that by Donald Trump because he also called Meryl Streep an overrated actress. So I guess I'm the Meryl Streep of generals, and frankly that sounds pretty good to me." pic.twitter.com/Hzpe5lUeje | |
| Trump lashed out at his former defence secretary on Wednesday during a contentious White House meeting with members of Congress. | Trump lashed out at his former defence secretary on Wednesday during a contentious White House meeting with members of Congress. |
| The meeting was intended to be a bipartisan discussion of Trump’s decision to pull US forces from northern Syria, but it broke up after a testy exchange between Trump and Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker. | The meeting was intended to be a bipartisan discussion of Trump’s decision to pull US forces from northern Syria, but it broke up after a testy exchange between Trump and Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker. |
| Before the walkout, Trump disparaged Mattis, who had argued as defence secretary that US troops were needed in Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State fighters. | Before the walkout, Trump disparaged Mattis, who had argued as defence secretary that US troops were needed in Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State fighters. |
| Trump said Mattis was “the world’s most overrated general. You know why? He wasn’t tough enough.” | Trump said Mattis was “the world’s most overrated general. You know why? He wasn’t tough enough.” |
| “I captured Isis,” Trump went on to say. | “I captured Isis,” Trump went on to say. |
| Mattis resigned last December after Trump said he intended to pull 2,000 American troops out of Syria. In his resignation letter, the retired Marine general told Trump he had “the right to have a secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours”. | Mattis resigned last December after Trump said he intended to pull 2,000 American troops out of Syria. In his resignation letter, the retired Marine general told Trump he had “the right to have a secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours”. |
| Since then, he has largely refrained from publicly criticising the administration, saying he owed the commander-in-chief “a duty of silence”. | Since then, he has largely refrained from publicly criticising the administration, saying he owed the commander-in-chief “a duty of silence”. |
| But he did save an insult for Trump at the gala. | But he did save an insult for Trump at the gala. |
| “I earned my spurs on the battlefield … and Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor,” Mattis said. | “I earned my spurs on the battlefield … and Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor,” Mattis said. |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| US military | US military |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |