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Top Pentagon Appointee Once Called Trump A ‘Narcissist’ And ‘Egomaniac’ [VIDEO]

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Saagar Enjeti White House Correspondent
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Secretary of Defense James Mattis’s pick for the head of public affairs at the Pentagon, Dana White, previously criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in an October TV interview.

White, a former foreign policy advisor to Arizona Sen. John McCain, said Trump had been “damaging for the Republican brand” and characterized him as a “narcissist” and “egomaniac.”

However, White did add, “as a Republican who still wants who wants the republic to still move forward smoothly, Republicans are going to have to help him because he is our nominee.”

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White previously served as a Taiwan country director within the office of the undersecretary of policy at the Senate Armed Services Committee, as a public affairs specialist at defense contractor Lockheed Martin and most recently owned her own defense consulting firm dually based in Washington D.C. and Paris.

A source close to White told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Mattis and the White House were aware of her remarks before the appointment. The source said White served as a loyal Republican campaign surrogate after Trump won the nomination and encouraged so called “Never Trump” Republicans to work for the candidate.

As assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, White will oversee the entire public relations apparatus at the Pentagon and could play the role of briefing the press daily. Some past public affairs assistants have served both roles while in other administrations a designated staffer is tasked with the duty.

White’s criticism of Trump and ability to attain an appointment within the Trump administration is unusual. February reports indicated that Mattis clashed with the White House over the appointment of a former Bush staffer who signed a letter declaring her opposition to Trump’s nomination during the campaign. A month later, Mattis also withdrew Anne Patterson as his pick for a top Pentagon post after the White House objected to her actions as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt in 2013. (RELATED: Mattis And Bannon Clash Over ‘Never Trump’ Pentagon Staffer)

The White House also blocked the appointment of veteran foreign policy hand Elliot Abrams to Deputy Secretary of State over concerns of his criticism of Trump during the election.

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