The barrage of criticism faced by President Donald Trump ever since Defense Secretary Gen. Jim Mattis’s expected resignation announcement last Thursday appears to be frustrating him.
Mattis, who plans to step down Feb. 28, released a resignation letter a day after the president declared victory against ISIS in Syria and announced the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,” some of it reads. “While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.”
Read the full letter below:
FULL TEXT: “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours…” – General Mattis in his resignation letter to President Trump. #7News pic.twitter.com/2ZSRAldOCR
— Justin Dougherty (@DoughertyJC) December 20, 2018
Because of the way Mattis worded the letter, the media interpreted it a rip on the president:
News analysis: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis left little doubt in his resignation letter that he viewed the president as a threat to the world order the United States helped construct https://t.co/MDWbBvPPdi
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 21, 2018
”There’s going to be an intervention. Jim Mattis just sent a shot across the bow. He’s the most credible member of the administration by five grades of magnitude. He’s the steady, safe set of hands. And this letter is brutal.He quit because of the madness” https://t.co/OlobCcadw3
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) December 21, 2018
As I understand it, Republicans unanimously think Mattis an excellent defense secretary and wise on foreign policy.
Mattis’s resignation letter makes clear he thinks Trump a terrible president who’s dead wrong on foreign policy.
So…
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) December 20, 2018
Wow, the Mattis letter is brutal
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) December 20, 2018
I predict the resignation letter of General Mattis will become one of those oft-referenced documents that come to illuminate important chapters of the American story. Wow.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) December 21, 2018
Mattis’s letter represents America’s most-respected warrior telling the nation that he does not believe POTUS sees our enemies clearly, understands the importance of our allies, or perceives the necessity of American leadership. We should be troubled: https://t.co/De5oeFCzlU
— David French (@DavidAFrench) December 21, 2018
The president appears to be exasperated by both this belief — that Mattis criticized him — and the media’s insistence that his Syria withdrawal is a mistake that threatens U.S. security.
“If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America,” he tweeted Saturday evening.
When then-President Barack Hussein Obama announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq nearly a decade ago, Democrats and their media allies celebrated it as a sound decision.
“With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!” the president added, taking issue with the media’s relentless accusations about his alleged inability to lead.
In another tweet posted shortly thereafter, the president addressed Mattis’ resignation.
“When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn’t, I thought I should. Interesting relationship-but I also gave all of the resources that he never really had. Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.,” he wrote.
Look:
If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018
When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn’t, I thought I should. Interesting relationship-but I also gave all of the resources that he never really had. Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018
Unbeknownst to many Americans, Mattis previously served as the U.S. Marine Corps commandant from 2010 til 2013, when Obama abruptly fired him in an “inglorious” manner.
According to reports, Mattis learned of his termination when an aide handed him a piece of paper that said the Pentagon had just named his replacement.
In a final tweet Saturday, the president also addressed the just-reported resignation of Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS.
“The Associated Press reported that McGurk said in a resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that ISIS was on the run, but wasn’t yet defeated and that U.S. work in Syria wasn’t yet done,” Fox News reported Saturday afternoon.
“Fox News has confirmed that McGurk submitted his resignation letter on Friday, a day after Secretary Mattis resigned. His resignation is effective December 31.”
Look at the president’s tweet below:
Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015. Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018
He was correct. McGurk had originally planned to resign in February. But following Trump’s withdrawal announcement and Mattis’ resignation, he apparently decided to just resign now.
Democrats and their media allies have not been alone in their criticism of the president. Notably hawkish Republicans like Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham have joined the chorus too.
Look:
Just read Gen. Mattis resignation letter. It makes it abundantly clear that we are headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation,damage our alliances & empower our adversaries. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ztc0Yihccn
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 20, 2018
I hope we who have supported this administrations initiatives over the last two years can persuade the President to choose a different direction. But we must also fulfill our constitutional duty to conduct oversight over the policies of the executive branch. 2/2
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 20, 2018
Mr. President, we will never have partners in the future.
Our nation is better than this.
Please reevaluate the Syrian withdrawal strategy.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 21, 2018
The difference is that they were just as hawkish during Obama’s time in office. The same may not be said of the previously dovish Democrats and their hypocritical media allies.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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