Defense Secretary James Mattis quits, says his views aren't 'aligned' with Trump's

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/20/politics/donald-trump-james-mattis-out/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2018-12-20T22%3A38%3A11&utm_source=fbCNN&utm_medium=social

Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned Thursday on the heels of President Donald Trump's plans to withdraw troops from Syria, citing irreconcilable policy differences.

"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis wrote in his letter.He also pointedly stated that the strength of the US depends in part on the strength of its alliances around the globe, many of which have become notably frayed under Trump."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. 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," he added.In Syria withdrawal, Trump discards advice from allies and officialsTrump first announced Mattis' departure in a tweet."General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years," Trump tweeted.Trump touted the "tremendous progress" that has been made during Mattis' tenure at the helm of the Defense Department and thanked Mattis for his service.Trump said a successor "will be named shortly."Mattis and the President's other top national security advisers opposed Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria.

Okay at this rate Trump won't have a cabinet.

Really hard to follow this tv show. The plot is too far-fetched, and they're always changing the actors.

If anything, I have to admit Trump is making me buy more popcorn than I usually do. This is getting crazier by the minute. But an awesome way to end 2018. Republicans lose the house, government shutdown, Trump ain't getting his wall, 2 high level resginations, mueller is closing in. #MAGA

@blackballs: Yup, same here! May have to pick up a second job to fund my popcorn intake at this point lol. Things sure aren't looking too rosey in Trump camp atm.

Trump’s an idiot. Further weakening our country every second he remains, only to the cheers of his mindless sycophant followers.

Hey Trump supporters, great idea! Let’s let ISIS grow in strength. Mission accomplished! Traitors.

This is awesome.

The left is so deranged that they have become warmongers just to hate on Trump.

Didn't the right invade Iraq and Afghanistan?

But yeah, it reminded me of when people like you and your Trump followers were against anything Obama did. He could have cured cancer and the right would have still call him a monkey from kenya/muslim.

Government shutdown. Troops out of Syria. Troops out of Afghanistan. Mattis out.

I going to take a break.

If we're war mongers then why did Trump hire Mattis, Pompeo, and Bolton who are generally against withdrawing? The man is hiring warhawks in the first place.

This seems like a pretty big blow to the last sane bastion of the cabinet. I wonder when Wilbur Ross will be forced out next.

But it makes no sense. The right invaded these countries, got the U.S into a geopolitical mess, but you can't just get out of it if everyone else from your own party, to military officials, your own cabinet telling you it's a massive mistake. For Trump supporters everyone is wrong. The FBI, The Fed, The DOJ, The Republican party, 5 star generals...

Trump is getting colossally rekt today! Wow! Merry Christmas to me =D

I though it was pretty a good decision usa made. You can't just occupy every country and makes excuses that they are protecting America's national security. The war seems to be almost over , Assad is almost done retaking back the country. I don't think usa army can to do much in Syria anymore.

@blackballs: dude... read his resignation letter. This is a massive middle-finger to Trump! Some of the things he says about treating allies and having an informed view are ghost pepper hot!

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/politics/james-mattis-resignation-letter-doc/index.html

I'm still of the opinion we're going to get an Oscar-grade movie out of this in about 15 years.

It's so weird going from Obama and Bush, two presidents who generally had it together perhaps one more than the other, to Trump who is basically a child who has to be looked after all the time and keeps losing staff because of how shitty a job he's doing. It's kind of a new experience for me and probably a lot of other people to see a white house that's always in such chaos and a mess. I'm not really a big fan of seeing that happen. I much prefer the highest level of government have some sort of order to it.

They don't take near as long these days. I expect it only a couple years after his "presidency" is over.

So 2020?

Lol less then that, look at Vice. Probably will drop it 6 months after he is out of office.

What a shit show.

We are heading towards the season finale guys just hope they don't jump the shark with a Government shut down.

Looks like most Americans agree.

Abandoning Empire is a bad idea.

All this makes me feel uneasy as hell. I dislike Trump as much as most people do, but all this happening at once can't be good for the country.

This is easily the worst season of The Apprentice.

I get that this season's "hook" is that he loses his best employees every week, rather than the worst, but it's a lot less fun to watch than the old format.

markets in freefall. don't forget about that one.

Republicans rip Trump’s surprise Syria withdrawal in meeting with Pence

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/19/trump-us-troops-in-syria-1068734

When has that ever changed your view, most Americans give Trump a negative approval.

Haha indeed.

So both parties agree, the world will fall apart if America doesn't maintain it's empire.

No doubt! I predict Macaulay Culkin will play Trump so we can all think back to how Trump cameo'd in Home Alone 2.

This is the only season I have watched so I'm hardly an expert, but he did lose Sean Spicer very early. Chris Christie and Ted Cruz didn't even make it past the tryouts section, but it was hillarious to watch Ted try given that we all watched Trump shit all over him right before he did.

@Serraph105: Looks like Paul Ryan is going out with a whimper also. Really thought he'd be around in later seasons too, as it was my impression he was a GOP 'rising star'. ?

Speakers of the House always get the shaft by their party, it's really nothing new. I always believed this was the reason Paul claimed to never really want the job. Nancy will be an interesting exception, I don't know my history of Speakers, but I don't think there has been a person who has held the job multiple times non-consecutively in a very long time

@watercrack445: Agreed, as a Syrian I support Assad.

Yup. It's well known not to take the job if you want to be a president in the future. Ryan, could have. He has the charisma for consevatives, however after this gig I would not be suprised if he leaves politics all together. Now republicans according to a recent poll view him as weak.

agreed. Im not a hypocrite, and I can accept that trump did a GREAT thing here. Whenever a majority of the republiterds and democrats are pissed off, then you know something great has happened

the thing with all these organizations is they all have a conflict of interest $$$. If you can convince the people that the threat is near and real, you are set for life, with a cushy pay cheque and a job where you do nothing but sit on your fat ass.

So how is it going with the Taliban? are they gone? have they vanished? and how long is it we have been there,

But I guess you are ok with staying in Syria forever right? Because Trump is correct, we have done what is needed so far and now it´s up to Assad and Russia to wipe the floor with the remaining rebels and ISIS.

Assuming you're right, why is Trump hiring people like Mattis, Bolton, and Pompeo who believe in the exact opposite?

That is the million dollar question.

Afghanistan still have major problems with Taliban and huge areas are under Taliban control and even the "democratic" elections they are trying to hold have been interrupted in the capital

So its a very good question why anyone would believe that after Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq that it´s a completely winnable "war". but at least Trump is not going to keep forces or fighting in Syria, and leaving it to the people who actually live there. And of course Russia who seems to at least have learned something from Afghanistan and are working with the country's leader.

@MirkoS77: Let ISIS grow in strength? Wtf are you talking about?

But I imagine the answer to your own question is Trump is right everybody else including his generals are wrong. DERP DERP DERP*

Of course and we won Vietnam as well.

Anything else you want to say that is completely out there?

I thought Trump said ISIS has been defeated? Or is it now "leave it to Russia/Assad"? Your orange doofus can't even keep his own narrative straight long enough for you to predicate any valid argument upon.

What I'm ok with is fighting a vicious and hateful ideology over there so they won't bring it here. The fight against an ideology is never ending as you cannot eradicate it, only take steps to mitigate it. You, along with Trump, seem to be fine withdrawing to our own borders to defend ourselves (all the while abandoning our allies to potential slaughter), I am for being proactive in stopping it where it arises while building and maintaining alliances.

You and every Trump supporter believe that isolationism makes us stronger. It doesn't, it actively weakens us. But keep it up!

Politicians lost Viet Nam.

This is not about isolation. This is about acknowledging that we have lost enough American lives in the fight against people who see us as invaders and not liberators. By staying there and fighting in Syria we only make things worse since the only way to stop them is to let Assad get back in power, remember before Syria was seen as the jewel of the middle east and was pretty peaceful until we and the world decided that we know best and got too cocky for our own good like normal, after all, Gaddafi was a win even though the country is destroyed and are now filled with ISIS cells and civil war.

But since you are ok with fighting futile wars, I have to ask how many American soldiers are ok to lose? before you can see the light and that by staying it´s just making it far far worse.

And this is nothing to do with Trump, we got into Iraq on false pretences, we bombed Libya back to the stone age and people lost their lives because of it, and remember Manchester? Enough is Enough and Trump may be a tool, but he is the first who says the wise thing , we need to leave the middle east and stop trying to force our way of life on them.