Sorry, Gen. Mattis won’t be running for President
Marines have long dreamed of the day beloved retired Gen. James Mattis 'finally' takes residence in the White House, but they shouldn't get their hopes up this campaign season.
In true Mattis fashion, the former head of U.S. Central Command gave it to 'em straight during a speech at Columbia Basin College in Washington State, letting his fans know that despite their interest, he would not be competing in the upcoming presidential race.
The Marine Corps Times reports:
While many troops would love to see Mattis go up against the likes of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, he said he'd like to see others take on the challenge.
"[It's] time for younger people, especially veterans, to run for office," Mattis told Marine Corps Times.
That could leave many sporting "Mattis for president" T-shirts while drinking from their "Mattis in 2016" mugs disappointed. In 2012, one Marine veteran started a Facebook campaign to get voters to consider writing in Mattis' name on their ballots.
Despite the promise of a rabid following in the veteran community, Mattis holds that he doesn't have "a broad enough perspective" to be Commander-in-Chief, according to The Marine Corps Times.
For more on the story, check out The Marine Corps Times
To listen to Mattis's speech at Columbia Basin College, listen to the SoundCloud recording below:
https://soundcloud.com/h9ka214/gen-mattis-addresses-presidential-run-at-columbia-basin-college