David Jackson, and Eliza Collins

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Coming off his first public appearance since Election Day — a campaign-style rally in the swing state of Ohio — President-elect Donald Trump began a low-key weekend Friday by assessing high-profile security and diplomatic jobs.

"The president-elect believes it's important for both military and civilian leaders working in national security to deliver the facts so their policy makers can make the best possible decisions," transition spokesman Jason Miller said as job applicants and advisers streamed into Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan.

Amid a very public search for secretary of State — a contest that includes names like Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Bob Corker and David Petraeus — Trump and aides confirmed that on Monday he will officially nominate retired Marine Corps general James Mattis as Defense secretary.

During a post-election rally Thursday night in Cincinnati, Trump stressed Mattis' nickname — "Mad Dog" — and told the crowd that "they say he is the closest thing to General George Patton that we have and it's about time, it's about time."

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The Ohio appearance kicked off a "Thank You Tour" in which Trump plans to visit swing states that gave him his surprise victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

In addition to thanking voters for his election victory, Trump also taunted political rivals and critics in the media who doubted his ability to put together the 270-plus Electoral College votes necessary to win.

"Folks, how many times did we hear this: 'There is no path to 270,'" Trump said in mocking the skeptics. "'Texas is in play.' You remember that one?"

Future stops on Trump's victory include North Carolina,.Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Federal law requires military personnel to be in retirement for at least seven years before taking the civilian job of Defense secretary. That means Mattis, who retired in 2013, will need a waiver from Congress as part of the confirmation process.

Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said that while she respects Mattis' service, she will oppose a waiver because "civilian control of our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy."

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Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, supports the waiver, however, and Republicans control the Senate.

Also Friday Trump announced the "President’s Strategic and Policy Forum" a group of 16 business leaders — from companies such as Wal-Mart, JPMorgan and Disney — who will meet with him "frequently" as president to advise on "his plan to bring back jobs."

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Trump is also continuing a series of calls with foreign leaders.

Officials in the Philippines said that Trump spoke Friday with President Rodrigo Duterte — who clashed repeatedly with President Obama — and invited him to visit the White House next year. Duterte, meanwhile, invited Trump to attend the summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), to be held in the Philippines.

In recent days, the president-elect has spoken with leading officials in Norway, Armenia, Cyprus, Jamaica, the European Union, and Sri Lanka, according to Miller.

On the domestic front, Trump's transition meetings Friday included one prominent Democrat: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

Heitkamp, who has been mentioned as a possibility for Cabinet slots like Agriculture and Energy, is the third Democrat that Trump has brought in for meetings. He has spoken previously with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Another Democrat, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, is also being discussed for the Cabinet, although he has not met with Trump.

Trump is also meeting Friday with Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., retired admiral Jay Cohen, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and economic adviser David Malpass.

Also on Friday's schedule: former Defense secretary Robert Gates, a critic of Trump during the campaign who in recent days has suggested that the president-elect is considering too many military people for civilian jobs.

Trump is also expected to meet Friday with former U.N. ambassador John Bolton, who has been mentioned for the State Department.

Other candidates for secretary of State include Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee; Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City; Petraeus, a retired general; and Corker, a Tennessee senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.