SYDNEYPrevious US defence secretary James Mattis refused to endorse his previous boss Donald Trump on Thursday (Oct 15), urging voters to look for leaders who show "competence and compassion".
"I will decline your offer to endorse a candidate," the retired four star general told a virtual event with Sydney's Lowy Institute, joking that "retired generals need to retire their tongues during election season".
But the previous marine went on to detail several qualities he looks for, and which seem to be at odds with Trump's bare-knuckled political brand.
"What I would look for most in a leader is competence and compassion," he said.
"I would look to the character and competence of the leader, compassion, empathy with their people, all their people."
Mattis also cited previous president Harry Truman's promise to be "the president of those who did not vote for him"a message that Democratic nominee Joe Biden has channelled in recent days, as he tries to win over undecided and swing voters.
Since resigning from office Mattis has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats for his perceived failure to criticise Trump, and for an insistence on dodging political questions despite being a previous Trump political appointee.
Mattis did briefly break his silence last June, after US military personnel were used to quash largely peaceful protesters.
"Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who doesn't try to unite the American peopledoesn't even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us," he wrote in the Atlantic magazine.
"We're witnessing the implications of three years of this deliberate effort. We're witnessing the implications of three years without mature leadership."
With three weeks to go until the final day of voting and with millions of ballots already cast, Trump is trailing in national polls and in several battleground states.