Donald Trump was so furious by Jim Mattis’ resignation he pushed him out early

Donald Trump is replacing one of his most senior officials sooner than expected, after he was handed a brutal resignation letter.

A furious Donald Trump is replacing one of his most senior officials sooner than expected, after he was handed a brutal resignation letter.

President Donald Trump says he is replacing Defence Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump’s anger at Mattis’ resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy.

On Thursday, Mr Mattis abruptly said he was quitting, effective February 28, after falling out with Mr Trump over his foreign policy, including surprise decisions to withdraw all troops from Syria and start planning a drawdown in Afghanistan.

Mr Trump has come under withering criticism from fellow Republicans, Democrats and international allies over his decisions about Syria and Afghanistan, against the advice of his top aides and US commanders.

The exit of Mr Mattis, highly regarded by Republicans and Democrats alike, added to concerns over what many see as Trump’s unpredictable, go-it-alone approach to global security. Mr Trump said Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan would take over on an acting basis from January 1.

I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018

In announcing his resignation, Mr Mattis distributed a candid resignation letter addressed to Mr Trump that laid bare the growing divide between them, and implicitly criticised the President for failing to value America’s closest allies, who fought alongside the United States in both conflicts.

Mr Mattis said that Mr Trump deserved to have a Defence Secretary more aligned with his views.

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In a brutal resignation letter, Mr Mattis said that Mr Trump deserved to have a Defence Secretary more aligned with his views.

Mr Trump, who tweeted on Thursday that Mr Mattis was “retiring, with distinction, at the end of February,” made his displeasure clear on Saturday by tweeting that the retired Marine general had been “ingloriously fired” by former President Barack Obama and he had given Mr Mattis a second chance.

Mr Obama removed Mr Mattis as head of US Central Command in 2013 because of what officials at the time said were perceived to be his hawkish views on Iran. Thursday’s tweet was dictated to an aide to send before Mr Trump read Mr Mattis’ resignation letter, a senior administration official told reporters on Sunday. “That’s not the kind of letter of resignation I think you should write,” the official said, adding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told Mr Mattis on Sunday he would be leaving on January 1.

In a tweet on Sunday, Mr Trump praised Mr Shanahan, a former Boeing Co executive, as “very talented”.

In his letter, Mr Mattis had said he would step down at the end of February to allow for a successor to be confirmed and attend Congressional hearings and a key NATO meeting.

In his letter, Mr Mattis had said he would step down at the end of February to allow for a successor to be confirmed and attend Congressional hearings and a key NATO meeting.

A senior White House official said that Mr Trump was irked by the attention given to Mr Mattis’ resignation letter.

“He just wants a smooth, more quick transition and felt that dragging it out for a couple of months is not good,” the official said, on condition of anonymity. The official said Mr Trump was expected to pick a nominee for Defence Secretary over the next couple of weeks.

Mr Shanahan, in his job as deputy Defence Secretary, has largely focused on internal Pentagon reform and issues like the creation of a Space Force, a project championed by Mr Trump but resisted by some politicians and some in the Pentagon.

Read the full text of Mr Mattis’ letter below:

Dear Mr President:

I have been privileged to serve as our country’s 26th Secretary of Defence which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defence of our citizens and our ideals.

I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defence Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department’s business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong US global influence.

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 defence, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.

Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. 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 neighbours, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defence.

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 Defence 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 end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department’s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defence Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defence occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability within the Department.

I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfil their critical, around-the-clock mission to protect the American people.

I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.

Jim N Mattis