In an article in The Atlantic on Wednesday former Trump Defense Secretary James Mattis, a man formerly revered by conservatives and the military, penned a low personal blow against the president. One can only guess at why Mattis has joined the DC liberal elite he has spent a lifetime opposing in word and deed. Perhaps he misses the spotlight. Maybe he was bought out.

Likely he has a gripe with the president’s tone and style —it is decidedly non-Mattis— and let his issue with the presidential demeanor run away with his emotions. He also, apparent when you read the piece as he defends and rationalizes the rioters, likely did not write the piece himself. A general of Marines does not write like a prog Capitol Hill wonk. A convenient Democrat hand probably used Mattis as a willing sock puppet to get out far-left Democrat talking points.

Mattis’ diatribe was a petty emotional tirade more suited to a hysterical junior high schooler than a USMC four-star general. Such is the face James Mattis now wants to display to the American people. So be it. Here are some of his words.

“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution [emphasis added]. ”

First notice the blatant lies about the rioters and hardly a word about the death, looting, and arson they have left in their wake. Then he minimizes the damage and quickly moves on. A sad and pathetic dodge at best.

The president quickly responded, calling Mattis the “world’s most overrated general” and said his expertise was now not in warfare “but rather personal public relations.”

Trump added: “Probably the only thing Barack Obama & I have in common is that we both had the honor of firing Jim Mattis, the world’s most overrated General. I asked for his letter of resignation, & felt great about it. His nickname was ‘Chaos’, which I didn’t like, & changed to ‘Mad Dog.”

The White House press secretary, the stunning and ultra-sharp Kayleigh McEnany, also had something to say in the following tweet:

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Mattis wasn’t finished: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

The glaring stupidity and delusion of that statement would be amazing coming from the brave and competent man Mattis once was, but seems not to be anymore.

Mattis ended with, “When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”

Violate the rights of their fellow citizens? Just how and when were they ordered to do that? And again notice the dodge, “ordered to,” not did. A fine nuance that Mattis (or whoever wrote this) wants you to miss. They want you to hurry over it because no such thing happened. It is an obvious lie. But the entire piece is a fabrication. They expect the shiny stars on Mattis’ shoulders to blind us to the fact he has become a mere tool for the forces who terrorize our streets and actually violate our Constitution on a regular basis. However, sadly, in the light of day those stars have lost their shine. It is unlikely they will ever regain their former luster.