### Public Opinion Mixed on Trump's Defense Secretary Nominee Jim Mattis

When President-elect Donald Trump announced Jim Mattis as his choice for defense secretary in December 2016, it quickly became apparent that many Americans were already formulating opinions based on their familiarity with Trump's circle of supporters. A survey conducted shortly after the announcement shed light on public sentiment towards Mattis.

The polling firm YouGov discovered that the former Marine Corps general's relatively low profile left a significant number of people without a solid opinion. Among the general American populace, ambivalence was a common reaction, with many respondents expressing no particular viewpoint about Mattis.

Interestingly, among Democrats, there was a slight inclination to perceive Mattis more negatively compared to the overall population. This could be attributed to the association between Mattis and Trump, as recognition of Mattis stemmed primarily from his appointment by the president-elect. However, even within this group, harsh criticism was not overwhelmingly prevalent. Only about 20% of Democrats viewed Mattis very unfavorably.

The findings highlight that, despite the media coverage surrounding his nomination, Jim Mattis remains a relatively unknown figure to a broad swath of Americans who are yet to form a definitive stance on his suitability for the role of defense secretary.