Jim Mattis

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FILE - In this June 13, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mattis is issuing his own sharp threat to North Korea, saying the regime should cease any consideration of actions that would "lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

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In this June 28, 2017, photo, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis speaks in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Mattis is giving the military chiefs another six months before they begin allowing transgender individuals to enlist in the armed services. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White says he made the decision June 30. A Mattis memo obtained by The Associated Press says he wanted to give the services time to insure the change won’t affect the readiness and lethality of the force. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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FILE - In this June 13, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mattis said Wednesday, June 14, 2017, he can now set U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan after receiving the authority from President Donald Trump. It’s a break from past practice that Mattis said will enable him to more effectively manage the war effort. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

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FILE - In this June 13, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mattis said Wednesday, June 14, 2017, he can now set U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan after receiving the authority from President Donald Trump. It’s a break from past practice that Mattis said will enable him to more effectively manage the war effort. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pauses as he waits to give a speech about "The United States and Asia-Pacific Security" at the first plenary session at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual defense and security forum in Asia, Saturday, June 3, 2017 in Singapore. North Korea is accelerating its push to acquire a nuclear-armed missile capable of threatening the United States and other nations, and the U.S. regards this as a "clear and present danger," Mattis said. (AP Photo/Joseph Nair)

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US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, right, stands with Danish Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, during a press conference, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Mattis said he had open and useful discussions with Turkish officials Tuesday, and said the two countries are working out differences over America’s continuing support for Syria Kurds as the fight against Islamic State militants moves closer to group’s headquarters in Raqqa. (Stine Tidsvilde/Ritzau Foto via AP)

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US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, right, shakes hands with Danish Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, during a press conference, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Mattis said he had open and useful discussions with Turkish officials Tuesday, and said the two countries are working out differences over America’s continuing support for Syria Kurds as the fight against Islamic State militants moves closer to group’s headquarters in Raqqa. (Stine Tidsvilde/Ritzau Foto via AP)

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US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, pauses during a press conference after a meeting , in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Mattis said he had open and useful discussions with Turkish officials Tuesday, and said the two countries are working out differences over America’s continuing support for Syria Kurds as the fight against Islamic State militants moves closer to group’s headquarters in Raqqa. (Stine Tidsvilde/Ritzau Foto via AP)

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FILE - In this April 11, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pauses during a news conference at the Pentagon. Mattis is looking to the Middle East and North Africa for broader contributions and new ideas to fight Islamic extremism as the Trump administration fleshes out its counterterrorism strategy. His trip to the region this week includes stops with longstanding allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, and new partners like Djibouti. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, second right, speaks with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, left, speaks with Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, right, speaks with British Secretary of State for Defense Michael Fallon during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, front left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, front left, stand with other NATO defense ministers during a group photo at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis prepare to address a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, right, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, second right, greet Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, left, during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, left, speaks with British Secretary of State for Defense Michael Fallon during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis prepare to address a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis waits for the start of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, left, speaks with members of his delegation prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)

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FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 file photo, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis answers questions during the joint press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. On his first trip to Asia as secretary of defense, Mattis ruled out a military response to China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea but promised to continue with freedom of navigation operations to oppose Beijing’s occupation of disputed islands. "At this time, we do not see any need for dramatic military moves at all," Mattis told reporters in Tokyo, emphasizing the need for diplomacy. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)