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2017 Man of the Year: Ryan Zinke

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Everyone knows Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a confirmed badass. What some folks have yet to realize is that the Mad Dog is joined by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in badassdom.

Zinke, the highest-ranking official in the United States dedicated to protecting wildlife, was accused of killing an elephant. Falsely accused. And he wasn’t going to take this lying down. He set the record straight in the greatest way possible.

Zinke, a retired Navy SEAL officer, reminded everyone of his penchant for killing terrorists.

"The only thing I've hunted in Africa is terrorists. #GotEm #NoBaggingLimit" Zinke tweeted.

Zinke accompanied his statement with a picture of him in his SEAL gear.

Sadly, terrorism is a common problem throughout much of Africa. Islamic extremism has been on the rise in many parts of the continent. And where terrorists pop up, the United States cuts them down.

Man may be the deadliest game, but Zinke makes quick work of humanity's nastier elements.

Zinke is the type of badass who was hoping a bunch of hippies would be even more pissed off, just so that he could go to Africa or the Middle East, do another mission and tweet a picture of the dead terrorists his team would take down.

In addition to his fondness for dead terrorists, Zinke knows how to make an entrance. On his first day on the job as Secretary of the Interior, Zinke rode to the office on horseback.

So Zinke, in addition to #GotEm and #NoBaggingLimit, there's another hashtag for you: #AmericanBadAss.

If killing terrorists and riding a horse to work doesn't earn you a 2017 Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year award, it's not clear what will.