James Mattis
Secretary of Defense
Confirmed
The Job: Second only to the president in the military chain of command
- Retired Marine general
- Popular among both parties
- Given a waiver by Congress that recent military personnel need to be allowed to serve as Secretary of Defense
- Led the 1st Marine Division advance on Baghdad
- Supports remaining in Iran nuclear deal, which Trump has called "one of the worst and most one-sided" deals ever made by the U.S.