Incoming Secretary of Defense Mattis backs F-35 program criticized by Trump

Less than two weeks ago President-elect Trump tweeted that the F-35 program was over budget and that he was requesting a bid for a ‘comparable Super Hornet’.

Today we have word that his incoming Secretary of Defense, Retired Marine Corps General James Mattis supports the program with a “clear commitment” to its continuation.

Watch Raw Footage of F-35B Final Testing on USS America (LHA 6)

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said he personally met with Mattis and was encouraged by his support for the F-35. It should be noted that the company that makes the engines for the F-35, United Technologies has its headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut.

Blumenthal commented in a statement on his meeting with Mattis, “I was encouraged by his clear commitment to American air superiority and the important role of the F-35 program in sustaining and enhancing it.”

“General Mattis has a deep and insightful appreciation of the need for care and caution in the use of military power – a perspective that could provide a sense of balance and stability in a Trump administration,” Blumenthal said. – Hartford Courant

Mattis also met with other members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in preparation for his upcoming confirmation hearings and requesting a waiver to become the Secretary of Defense. Federal law prohibits a prior military member from serving as Secretary unless they have been retired and out of the service for seven years. Mattis retired in 2013.