How Mattis turned Trump's hurried tweet into something that troops can greet

Wwhat do you do when the boss has a bad idea, but you can not tell him that it's a bad idea?

Welcome to the world of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the man responsible for transforming President Trump's impulsive orders into acts that the military is happy to salute.

Last edict: Trump Order to send troops on active service to the Mexican border to repel the imminent "attack" of Central American refugees seeking asylum in the United States.

Mattis executes the order so as to allow the president to deceive the deployment, while keeping the troops away from the political and literal line of fire.

The sending of a few hundred high-profile soldiers is largely symbolic because of the long-standing legal restrictions imposed on active-duty troops engaged in the work of the National Police. Instead, it is mainly support personnel, not infantry, whose duties include ensuring the security of border guards, erecting barricades and temporary fences, and installing ferry guards. aboard helicopters, provide them with bullet-proof vests and build them temporary housing.

These are all jobs that can, and some say, be done by law enforcement officers or private contractors.

"I think that [you’ve] Be very careful about how you use the army, "said retired General Stanley McChrystal at CNN. "This is not a police force and it should never be a police force."

But what Mattis accomplishes is both a humanitarian mission and a political goal, says Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for National Interest.

"These troops can help with basic fences, technical support and even wall materials in places where migrants can cross. They can also provide medical help and even provide tents, "says Kazianis.

"Perhaps the most important thing is that these troops will be posted in all the media. This shows that the administration is doing something to remedy this problem. And by sending soldiers, it shows that it is a national priority, "he said. "This president attaches great importance to optics to the American people and to their base. The sending of troops means that it acts – the greatest possible action. "

This is a kind of special alchemy that Mattis is able to achieve, taking ideas that go at first like a lead balloon and gilding them just enough to give them a polish of acceptability, while not breaking the message of the President.

He did it over and over again.

When Trump shocked the Pentagon with his plan to remove the "expensive war games" between the United States and South Korea, Mattis realized that as long as they were pretending to cancel the show, they were not going to be able to do anything. Important exercises with dangerous sounding names, regular training could continue without being affected by the Trump radar and the North Koreans.

When Trump – impressed by the exaggerated Bastille Day parade he witnessed in Paris – ordered his own military show to take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, Mattis greeted with elegance, then was gradually reduced, while finding the way to link it to the 100th anniversary of the end. of the first world war

The idea was extremely unpopular at the Pentagon, but it gradually sank under the burden of local security costs that the District of Columbia would have charged the federal government.

The Trump administration has planned a similar fate to house children and immigrant families on US military bases.

After many activities, including site surveys and environmental assessments, health and social service leaders have been convinced that "it's not the facilities" you're looking for.

It should be noted that no Pentagon official would comment on the report, for fear that another story of Mattis' management could exasperate Trump and put an end to his mandate. Mattis as Secretary of Defense.

There are already rumors that Trump plans to replace Mattis after the mid-term elections by a person closer to his convictions.

Mattis and Trump have both denied these rumors. Another sign of Mattis' unique ability remains on the President's side, while rescuing him from his most capricious ideas.

Call it "The Mattis Touch".