No one thinks it’s funny that John Bolton, who vociferously supported the invasion of Iraq and has called for the bombing of North Korea and Iran, will be America’s next national security adviser—except, apparently, Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog” Mattis.

Meeting Bolton for the first time in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Mattis joked, “It’s good to finally meet you, since I’ve heard that you’re actually the devil incarnate.”

The two men shared a laugh, but Bolton didn’t deny his reputation. Then they entered the Pentagon.