WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump says Defense Secretary James Mattis is a "man of total action."
He says Mattis has devoted his life to serving the country and is a man of honor and devotion.
Trump spoke at the Pentagon after a ceremonial swearing-in for the retired Marine general. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the ceremony.
Mattis says Trump has been clear about his commitment to a strong national defense.
The defense secretary says the men and women serving in the U.S. military have been tested after a decade of war, "our longest war," in Afghanistan.
Mattis tells Trump he can "count on us all the way."
Earrlier Trump said he would allow Mattis to "override" his views in interrogation techniques. At his first press conference as president, Trump said Mattis doesn't believe torture, or a technique called waterboarding that stimulates drowning, is an effective tool for obtaining information. Trump says, he doesn't agree, but Mattis "will override."
