Jon Tester voted against giving General Mattis a waiver to serve the Pentegon under Trump. Will he stick to those convictions and oppose Biden’s pick for Secretary of Defense?
In 2017, Donald Trump picked General ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense. However, U.S. Law states that the Secretary of Defense must have been out of the military for at least seven years to take the position. The clause was wisely added to Constitution to ensure that the military remains under civilian control. Montana’s Democrat senator, Jon Tester, opposed that waiver for Mattis along with 17 other Democrats.
However, Democrats like Tester may be between a rock and a hard place, as presidential hopeful Joe Biden has announced plans to appoint General Lloyd Austin to the post. Austin will also need a similiar waiver from Congress, who has been retired less than four years.
Will Democrats who opposed the waiver for Mattis on the grounds it sets a bad precedent follow through on those convictions and also scuttle the nomination of General Austin?
According to Jon Tester, he will oppose the waiver (should Biden take office after his massive voter-fraud efforts).
“I didn’t for Mattis and I don’t think I will for him,” Tester said.
He continued, “I love Mattis, I thought Mattis was a great secretary. And I think this guy is going to be a great secretary of defense. I just think that we ought to look at the rules.”
Time will tell.
