President-elect Trump is set to meet with retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis Saturday amid speculation that Trump could tap him to serve as secretary of defense.

According to a pool report from the Trump transition team, Mattis is among eight people slated to meet with Trump on Saturday, including 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who is being discussed as a potential nominee for secretary of state.

Bloomberg reported Friday that Mattis and retired Gen. Jack Keane are in the running for secretary of defense.



Mattis, a retired Marine general who served as head of U.S. Central Command, is widely revered throughout the Marine Corps and is known for his colorful statements over the years.

He commanded the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, followed by tours at Marine Corps Combat Development Command, commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force and chief of Joint Forces Command.

Mattis retired in 2013, so he would need a waiver from Congress to be confirmed as defense secretary since he would not have reached the "cooling-off period" required by law.

Members of the #NeverTrump movement attempted to draft Mattis to run for president as an independent to challenge Trump and Hillary Clinton, but he declined in late April.

"The thoughtfulness and patriotism — and for that matter, the modesty — Jim showed as he reflected on this decision make me more convinced than ever that he would have made a truly admirable president, and also a good candidate," wrote Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard. The Weekly Standard and Washington Examiner are owned by the same parent company. "But it's not to be. So we won't have a President Mattis."

The retired general serves as fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University.

News of Mattis' meeting with Trump also comes soon after the president-elect tapped another general, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, to serve as his national security adviser.

Mattis' selection for a national security position would be surprising, since NBC News reported Thursday that Mattis was among a list of retired senior military officers who Flynn had taken out of contention. Others crossed off the list were retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace and retired Adm. William McRaven.

Trump is also meeting this weekend with Mitt Romney, Michelle Rhee, Betsy DeVos, Todd Ricketts, Bob Woodson, Andy Puzder and Lew Eisenberg.