BREAKING Defense Secretary Mattis Leaving Administration

James Mattis

UPDATE BELOW The Full Mattis Resignation Letter Where He Clearly Indicates His Differences With Trump 

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced his resignation on Thursday evening, writing in a letter to President Donald Trump that their views on numerous issues, including respecting allied nations and Russian aggression, are not in alignment. “

Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects,” Mattis wrote, “I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.” The retired Marine Corps general wrote in the letter that his resignation will be effective on February 28, 2019.

Only minutes before, President Trump had announced via Twitter that Mattis will be retiring in February. “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 wrote. “A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service!”

-RW 

(via Daily Beast)

UPDATE 1

Daniel McAdams reacts:

Excellent! Let's have a real "America first" Defense Secretary! https://t.co/abyPXZHSZg

— Daniel McAdams (@DanielLMcAdams) December 20, 2018

UPDATE 2

The Intercept reacts:

Mattis has been tied to some of the worst war crimes of the Iraq invasion. He gave the order to attack the village of Mukaradeeb, which killed 42 civilians, including 13 children, who were attending a wedding. https://t.co/fAxv4sVJb0

— The Intercept (@theintercept) December 20, 2018

UPDATE 3

The Mattis resignation letter: