Mattis hits back at Trump's insult saying he's 'the greatest overrated general'

America's former Defense Secretary, retired US Marines General James Mattis, hit back at Trump’s insults at a charity dinner in New York on Thursday saying he’s not just “an overrated general”, but that he’s “the most overrated general”.

Mattis made the remarks a day after President Donald Trump called him “the world’s most overrated general” because he “wasn’t tough enough” during a contentious White House meeting with members of Congress.

“I captured Isis,” Trump went on to say.

At the dinner, Mattis answered by saying: “I’m not just an overrated general. I’m the most overrated general”.

“I’m honored to be considered that by Donald Trump because he also called Meryl Streep an overrated actress. So I guess I’m the Meryl Streep of generals, and frankly that sounds pretty good to me.”

Mattis joked that he wasn't bothered by Trump’s comments because he had “earned his spurs in the battlefield”, whiIe Trump “earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor”.

The general resigned his post as Defense Secretary in December following a dispute with his boss.

As defence secretary, he had argued that US troops were needed in Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State fighters.

In his resignation letter, Mattis told Trump he had “the right to have a secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours.”