Trump Blasts Obama for 'Ingloriously' Firing James Mattis
President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday night that he gave outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis the chance former President Barack Obama never gave him.
Trump announced Thursday that Mattis would be stepping down at the end of February. In his resignation letter, Mattis stressed his support for America’s existing alliances.
Trump has viewed NATO and other military and political alliances with a more jaundiced eye.
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
“When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance,” Trump tweeted Saturday. “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.”
Mattis is leaving the Pentagon on Jan. 1. On Sunday, Trump announced that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan would take over as acting defense secretary. A full-time replacement for Mattis will require Senate confirmation.
Mattis had served as the head of Central Command in the Obama administration. According to a 2013 report in Foreign Policy, Mattis was given no direct notice when he was replaced. The 2013 article included a Pentagon denial of that scenario, but left some room for the idea that Mattis’ departure was not handled amicably.
Trump on Saturday also sent a Twitter blast in the direction of Brett McGurk, America’s envoy to the coalition of nations working to defeat the Islamic State group.
Trump last week announced that American troops would be leaving Syria, basing that decision on the defeat of the terrorist organization.
McGurk questioned Trump’s decision, and said that although the Islamic State group was being handed defeats, the job was not over. He called the claim that the Islamic State had been defeated “reckless,” according to Fox News.
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
“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!” Trump tweeted.
Trump also emphasized that the media reaction to bringing troops home proved the media’s antipathy to his administration.
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
“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!” Trump tweeted.
In an about-face, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California backed Trump’s Syrian policy in a commentary piece in The Washington Post.
“Trump also deserves credit for standing up to the war hawks within his own administration who started inventing rationales for remaining in the country: countering Iran and seeing an end to the Assad regime. That is the definition of mission creep. While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a brutal dictator and should be tried at the Hague for international war crimes, the United States should not militarily overthrow him,” Khanna wrote.
As for wiping out what is left of the Islamic State group, NBC said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised that his nation’s military would finish off the terrorist group’s remaining strongholds.
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