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| Mattis to leave on Jan 1, deputy Shanahan to replace him as acting defense secretary – Trump | Mattis to leave on Jan 1, deputy Shanahan to replace him as acting defense secretary – Trump |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The outgoing US Defense Secretary James Mattis is set to leave earlier than originally thought, with his deputy Patrick Shanahan replacing him as acting defense chief on January 1, President Donald Trump has tweeted. | The outgoing US Defense Secretary James Mattis is set to leave earlier than originally thought, with his deputy Patrick Shanahan replacing him as acting defense chief on January 1, President Donald Trump has tweeted. |
| Mattis resigned from Trump’s administration this week citing policy differences and offered to stay in his post for two more months until the end of February. While Trump himself had confirmed the time frame, he has now made it clear Mattis will be out of the team quite a bit earlier. | |
| Reports and speculation emerged that the abrupt change was caused by Mattis’ resignation letter and the attention it received. Trump was irked by the letter, which implicitly criticized his policies and the decision to withdraw from Syria, and decided to oust the Secretary of Defense immediately, Reuters reported, citing a source. | |
| Mattis’ resignation may signal further changes in US foreign policy, as he was one of the last “old school” officials sticking to “alliances and stability” to maintain the “US-led world order,” former Pentagon official Michael Maloof believes. | |
| “Trump has come around and blown that all up. He looks at America first, while paying lip service to alliances such as NATO, but in reality he wants a strong America. Mattis did too, but in coordination with allies,” Maloof told RT, adding that such a stance on Trump’s part actually speeds up the emergence of a multipolar world, which ultimately further damages “US hegemony.” | |
| The departure of Mattis certainly won't help Trump garner support among the military, Maloof believes, saying that it might even damage the morale of US troops. | |
| “He had a tremendous respect among the troops. I knew General Mattis – partially – and the respect that he engendered from the rank and file military was almost as though he was another General Patton,” he said. “I don’t think the military is going to be supportive of Donald Trump as a consequence.” | |
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