The Resignation of James Mattis Is the Scariest Moment of Trump’s Presidency
By JIM GERAGHTY, NATIONAL INTEREST
This is bad. Really, really bad.
Defense Secretary James Mattis was arguably the best and most important cabinet decision that President Trump made. Indisputably qualified and brimming with experience, he personified what the Trump administration presumably wanted to be: tough, smart, thoroughly reassuring, and sometimes intimidating. As a man who had seen war up close many times, Mattis sought to avoid it. If it couldn’t be avoided, Mattis was ready to fight it and win it.
Foreign-allied leaders who were freaked out by Trump came away comforted and encouraged by Mattis. Military leaders often have to work with their foreign counterparts on joint exercises, coalition operations, on foreign bases, or as military attachés, and our uniformed officers often end up becoming adept diplomats, used to working out differences, figuring out common ground, soothing egos and making reassuring gestures of respect. No matter what Trump said or did, Mattis and the other experienced folks around him reassured the world that the president’s furious passions could be channeled into constructive directions: bombing ISIS into oblivion. Sending retaliatory airstrikes at Bashar al-Assad when he used chemical weapons. Taking a tough line on Iran. Standing with the Japanese against Chinese expansion and South Korea against North Korean threats, and protecting the sea lanes.
Mattis was also clearly not a sycophant or yes-man. He could be counted on to tell it exactly as he saw it, whether the president wanted to hear it or not. Whether or not any president likes hearing these sorts of assessments, every president needs to hear them.
The funny thing is that the man once known as “Saint Mattis of Quantico, Patron Saint of Chaos” could become such a assuring figure of order and stability.
And now he’s quit, concluding that he can no longer work for this president.
Yesterday while defending the withdrawal of U.S. forces, Trump tweeted, “Time for others to finally fight…..” which is a stunning insult to the Kurds, the Iraqi army, and Syrian Defense Forces, who did most of the fighting on the ground against ISIS.
Mattis’s letter does not pull any punches.
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. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances…
It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model — gaining veto authority over other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions — to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
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.
The fact that Mattis is laying this out so openly — I believe our alliances are valuable and that Russia and China are threats, and the president does not agree with me — should frighten us, as should the fact that Mattis found their differences irreconcilable and worth resigning over.
@ sabashimon:
Talking about the SLA, yes it was a shame and embarrassment…but look at who was in charge of Israel then..One of Bara’s mess-ups I think… I read a week or so ago that Israel is now giving them pensions, or/and some advantageous house terms etc. it seems that someone woke up suddenly from dozing at his desk. (Perhaps Yamit 82 dropped his shoe right beside his ear).
@ yamit82:
Maybe,… I also showed up many years ago but dropped off. I’m surprised that you don’t regard being called a sycophant an ad hominem attack. Of course you were not so called… I was. and I regard it as such. “It all depends on what is in the eye of the beholder”… Perhaps it’s very mild, compared to what you are usually called…????
It’s nice to know that Laura has such loyal and faithful friends to rush to her protection…especially when she doesn’t need it…. as she amply shows. So after this nonsense Let me answer the main, and very serious question…if it was a question..;
I expect the shoe would need to belong to Trump …for several reasons. …
1) I’d need to be able to hear it as I’m slightly deaf and he takes a size 14.
2) Unless Laura is about 6-6” tall, she won’t have a comparable shoe.
3) I don’t believe ( but don’t quote me) that Laura is involved with the intimate details of what is going on in the White House, and especially inside Trumps head.
So thank you indeed for asking, and giving me the opportunity to represent myself and explain..
By the way..remind me sometime to ask Ted if long time membership on this site entitles one to special privileges, more than other shorter term members….Don’t forget. Please…Thank you.
Israel will ultimately deal with this (although my confidence would be greatly boosted with different leadership and a different mentality within the IDF) My biggest issue is the utter betrayal (once again) of the Kurds. A genuine and good People, who, unlike the “palestinians”, have their own language, money, culture,etc., and are eminently deserving of their sovereignty, and who, if their enemies were Jews, would have the whole world clamoring for their rights to nationhood.
For me it brings back bad memories of our unforgivable abandonment of the SLA.
@ Bear Klein:
1/3 of the defense budget goes for rent on military bases around the world.
Edgar G. Said:
Shoe to drop from Trump or Laura? Since when is being called a SYCOPHANT…ad hominem ???
BTW Laura has been a valued contributor to Israpundit from the very beginning. Long before you showed up.
@ Laura:
Sad isn’t it? Chutzpa taking 100% of the credit for the fighting and bloodshed of allies….. He is despicable. We know the Kurds did most of the fighting on the ground and Obama starved them from gaining weapons to defend themselves. Israel was a main supplier. While till now I strongly supported his agenda I think all of this may have set back his peace deal plan for Israel…. Israel now can never accept any paper promise from such a shallow and disloyal transactional President…. When we reject his plan expect him to be vindictive.
@ Laura:
Laura…LAURA…dear oh dear where did you come from….. blindsided us all. You are very busy today on this site which is a welcome addition. But to indulge in ad hominem attacks…..a SYCOPHANT……NOT nice… my very first time called that…. I’ve been called lots of other things… I agree with what you say about Michael…. But ME……… I hold similar views about this matter to Ted..,…. am I being singled out for “special treatment”…. (Michael deserves it so I’m not counting him)…here’s my paranoia showing…..
This action by Trump is totally against what we all know of him and even more so against anything he’s done before. Completely unlike him to “let down” an ally or associate…especially throw Israel into an imminent war situation…. But he likes to produce things from “his sleeve”, and crow about them…..
So I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I have been very Pro Trump as he has done a very good job, until NOW!.
This decision by Trump to retreat from Syria, now should be viewed like all decisions on its merits and not as a pro or anti Trump team cheerleader.
On its merits it makes the USA and free world much weaker. It favors Russia, Iran and Turkey. Iran and out and out enemy. Turkey the Sunni version of Iran run by a Muslim Brotherhood dictator who Trump listened to and acquiesced to in making his decision to pull out of Syria. Trump in other words caved to Erodgan!!! Russia is one of the two main USA rivals and its standing and power is going up in the middle east as the USA’s goes down. Iran who Trump has been trying to knock down a peg or two correctly and was getting economically weaker with the sanctions Trump imposed, now will gain a land bridge all the way the Mediterranean Sea in which to drive weapons and troops to fight Israel and Jordan.
How does any of this help the USA. ISIS which has 30 to 40K armed members in Iraq and Syria will now have a freer reign to formulate terrorism in the region and for export to the West including the USA.
The Kurds who have been the main infantry helping the USA fight ISIS is being abandoned to the whims of the Turks who aim to militarily rout them. This is the reward the Kurds get for fighting with the USA. What a lousy precedent established by Trump. He used the Kurds and then betrayed them after a conversation with Erodgan. Not one of his advisors agreed with him!
Trumps lowest moment as POTUS!!!!
Sycophants Edgar and greenrobot can’t bring themselves to consider Trump might be wrong.
Grow up Mr. Geraghty.
A very anti-Trump article. The writer doesn’t seem to understand even after two years, that when “Foreign Allied Leaders” were “freaked out” by Trump this this was exactly the way he wanted them to be, where they would become disorganised and ready for him to push his agenda……always to the benefit of the United States, and the -active and financial- detriment of the “Allied Leaders” who had been comfortably relying on the power of the US to protect them at no -or little- cost to them…..whilst at the same time, they would be working closely -and profitably-with the declared enemies of the United States….
Or maybe the writer DOES understand –but has been commissioned to produce an anti-Trump article, denigrating and ridiculing the best President in US History –not excluding the icons Abraham Lincoln and George Washington…..
Instead of a cherry tree, Trump has a combined enemy of every Democrat, including 80% of the Jewish American population…plus the RINOS.
Sad