Speaking over the weekend at a conference in Singapore, Defense Secretary James Mattis urged the world to “bear with” the US as they adjust to the election of a new president, insisting that the US remains committed to engaging in global intervention, and that it is “very deeply rooted in the American psyche.”

Mattis insisted the 20th century ended any idea of America not constantly intervening in the world, and that Americans knew it would be “a crummy world” if they weren’t constantly involved in other countries’ affairs.

The comments were mostly directed at an audience of US allies who don’t like President Trump, and while he tried to assure them that nothing with respect to US policy had changed, other officials said they had the sense that what Mattis was saying was far different that what Trump himself is saying.

Trump’s stated position isn’t always in line with what he ends up doing, however, and with a slew of former generals in top positions, all of whom made their careers out of US interventionism, the idea that America will engage in anything but aggressive meddling seems doubtful.