Rage

by Bob Woodward

“All I can say is he is the real deal!” Trump said to the press. Mattis stood coolly silent. Trump later tweeted: “General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday.” Mattis had a general operating philosophy which he articulated many times over the years: “You don’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your response.” He called his mother, Lucille, who was 94 years old. She had served in Army intelligence in World War II. He knew she hated Trump. “How can you work for that man?” she asked. “Ma, last time I checked, I work for the Constitution. I’ll go back and read it again.” “All right,” she said. “All right.”