James Mattis

I earned my spurs on the battlefield. Donald Trump earned his in a letter from a doctor.

Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.

[announcing his resignation to President Donald Trump] My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances. Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. Show less «

[on North Korea conducting missile tests]America does not seek the 'total annihilation' of the North. We have many options to do so Show less «

Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council's unified voice all members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses, and remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula because we are not looking to the total annihilation of a country namely, North Korea. But, as I said, we have many options to do so Show less «

[Addressing a public forum in San Diego, 2005] Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight, You know, it's a hell of a hoot.. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling. Show less «

Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response a response both effective and overwhelming. Show less «

[on President Trump's tweeting] Any marine general or any other senior servant of the people of the United States would find that, to use a mild euphemism, counter-productive and beneath the dignity of the presidency. Show less «