because he didn’t like all the favorable comments Mattis was getting after Trump fired him. Well OK then, that is Trump’s right. But has there ever been a more narcissistic, insecure and vengeful and insensitive occupant of the White House?
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...but he had to relieve Mattis. The DOD would be dysfunctional with a SecDef openly hostile to the President.
When Secretary of State Cyrus Vance resigned in protest, he was gone in 2 or 3 days.
Everything else in your post is 100% spot on, though, and much more important. The article in today’s NYT just piles more on to what we already know.
I also get Mattis' point of view, but I don't share it. I realize that he is a well respected military historian... but he sees reality through the very narrow lens of military conflict with actual weapons and soldiers. That is not the future. I want us to avoid shedding blood and wasting our treasure... again!
instead of looking at Fox and Friends and then deciding to try to humiliate Mattis.
Even the things Trump does with which I agree, he does like a jackass.
What is the upside of treating allies with whom we disagree like enemies, or of making snap decisions without even informing his National Security team and coalition "partners"?
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