Mattis says Trump just wants 'best bang for the buck' on F-35

Defense secretary nominee and retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee today that President-elect Donald Trump, though he has been critical of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, seeks only to lower its costs, not derail it.

Mattis said Trump "has in no way shown a lack of support for the program. He just wants more bang for the buck."

Trump took to Twitter in December to say the F-35's program costs were "out of control." He has since hinted that he would seek to compete the F-35, made by Lockheed Martin, against Boeing's F-18.

"We're gonna do some big things on the F-35 program and perhaps the F-18 program," he said during a press conference Wednesday. "We're going to get those costs way down and we're going to get the plane to be even better and we're going to have some competition and it's gonna be a beautiful thing."

On Thursday, Mattis told the committee it is not his place to comment on Trump's statements. However, Mattis said he has found "common ground" with Trump in his desire to lower Pentagon costs.

"I believe it shows he is serious about getting the best bang for the dollar," he said of Trump's recent tweeting on the F-35 and other defense programs.