UPDATED: Mattis leaving before Jan. 1
Source: Politico
By QUINT FORGEY 12/23/2018 12:09 PM EST
Defense Secretary James Mattis will step down before 2019, President Donald Trump announced in a tweet Sunday. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will lead the Pentagon as acting secretary effective Jan. 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," the president wrote. "Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"
Mattis announced his resignation last week in protest of Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, a move that has rattled the defense community and congressional lawmakers. In his resignation letter, Mattis said he would be departing the administration Feb. 28.
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Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/23/mattis-trump-defense-shanahan-1074509
UPDATE:
Trump, Angry Over Mattiss Rebuke, Removes Him 2 Months Early
Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times
By Helene Cooper
Dec. 23, 2018
WASHINGTON President Trump said on Sunday that he would remove Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who issued a stinging rebuke of the president when he announced his resignation last week, from his post by Jan. 1, two months before he had planned to depart.
Mr. Trump, in a Twitter post, said that Patrick M. Shanahan, Mr. Mattiss deputy, would serve as the acting defense secretary.
Aides said that the president was furious that Mr. Mattiss resignation letter in which he rebuked the presidents rejection of international allies and his failure to check authoritarian governments had led to days of negative news coverage. Mr. Mattis resigned in large part over Mr. Trumps hasty decision to withdraw American forces from Syria.
When Mr. Trump first announced that Mr. Mattis was leaving, effective Feb. 28, he praised the defense secretary on Twitter, saying he was retiring with distinction. One aide said that although Mr. Trump had already seen the resignation letter when he praised Mr. Mattis, the president did not understand just how forceful a rejection of his strategy Mr. Mattis had issued.
more
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/23/us/politics/trump-mattis.html?
Pachamama
(16,875 posts)....he is free to criticize the Commander in Chief publicly as a private citizen...
PS: Hope that he also spends some time with Robert Mueller talking about things of interest....
ChiTownDenny
(747 posts)Not the interfere with an election part; the spill the beans part.
George II
(67,782 posts)watoos
(7,142 posts)He's just Acting. Does that mean if he pledges loyalty to Trump, I mean absolute loyalty, maybe he will nominate him to be permanent?
I was waiting to see if he nominated Vincent Brooks, if he did, I know who is advising him.
RockRaven
(14,784 posts)be happening here. Deputy Whatever automatically becomes Acting Whatever when the head person leaves. Since Shanahan is already Deputy SecDef, he becomes Acting SecDef the minute Mattis is officially gone.
What Trump is announcing isn't that Shanahan is being nominated for SecDef, he's announcing that he is forcing Mattis out on Jan 1 instead of Feb 28 (the date Mattis chose), and before he nominates a new SecDef, a process which Mattis had intended to stay through.
This announcement doesn't say anything new about who SecDef is going to be, it says something new about who is NOT SecDef and when.
George II
(67,782 posts)....he can serve for 210 days, I believe.
But the ultimate Secretary, be it him or someone else, will have to be confirmed. Inasmuch as even republicans are upset with Mattis leaving, that could be a fiery hearing.
Harker
(13,880 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)Harker
(13,880 posts)to be such (nod to Bob Schieffer.) Not by a long shot. It's all been downhill after Watergate, while Democratic Presidents have been solidly good or even terrific.
lamsmy
(155 posts)As deputy department head he would already have been Senate confirmed. As would undersecretary, assistant secretary and general counsel.
It's why Rod Rosenstein should have been elevated at DOJ - he is more than qualified and already confirmed.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)trump just possibly trying to create a window between Jan 1 and Jan3.
Hugin
(32,778 posts)I bet he's already gone.
This is just the squishy spanky Tangeranus trying desperately to appear in charge.
Ramsey Barner
(349 posts)"Shanahan's Senate confirmation hearing [for Deputy Secretary of Defense] took place on June 20, 2017. During the hearing, Senator John McCain, a proponent of giving lethal weapons to Ukraine, threatened to block Shanahan's nomination over his response in a written statement about whether or not the U.S. should provide such weapons to Ukraine. Shanahan said he did not have access to classified military information in order to make a decision on the matter."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_M._Shanahan
Against providing weapons to Ukraine = pro Russia.
Former Boeing executive = current Boeing executive.
karynnj
(59,475 posts)It is NOT "anti Ukraine" to think further arming them may not be a good idea. Obama, incidentially fought them by leading on multinational sanctions (including the EU which does more business with them than the US) against Russia.
There might be other reasons to oppose him. I admit that I never heard of him.
Ramsey Barner
(349 posts)I was referring to Trump's change to the Republican Party platform to specifically exclude arming Ukraine with specific lethal weapons, apparently done at the behest of Russia. Hence, "pro-Russia." I agree that adding more weapons to the mix may not be the wisest idea!
Polybius
(15,239 posts)McCain was a warmonger. Very consistent too, and not a chickenhawk like Bush II and Cheney.
Polybius
(15,239 posts)I know we all say nice things about him here, but the man never met a war that he didn't like. I am tired of the US giving weapons to the rest of the world. Had McCain been elected in 2008, we might have had a nuclear war. Thank God for Obama.
WestMichRad
(1,282 posts)...not giving them. It wouldn't be done if their cronies and donors (of elected officials of both parties) weren't making a hefty profit from these transactions.
CBHagman
(16,968 posts)...we need to remind all the MAGA types that Trump is and always was temporary.
I know that doesn't appear to matter while things are so horrific, but we need to emphasize again and again in our comments to anyone in the media, administration, or any other entity that ultimately Trump's day of judgment is coming. We don't know how soon, but Trump is impotent against it.
BigmanPigman
(51,432 posts)He lives for fame, ratings and money (he will do anything for it, legal or illegal). Mr. Reality TV star never wanted to be POTUS or do the work so he has been "acting"...no policies, no interest in learning his job, doesn't care about the country at all, etc.
*And he is a terrible actor too, no matter what role he is playing.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,750 posts)I'd been thinking of starting a thread pointing out that Mattis would be in office through February, that it was not as though he was leaving abruptly. Now he is leaving abruptly.
Grasswire2
(13,564 posts)That's what his daddy taught him to do.
not fooled
(5,791 posts)"You didn't quit, I fired you."
What an infant.
mitch96
(13,821 posts)Like pulling that shit on McCabe.... Fire him before his exit date..... petulant child...
m
JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)He skimmed the resignation and thought it was a typical form. He had to be told by others it was laced with disrespect. Pretty sad.
WestMichRad
(1,282 posts)Oranus didn't understand the meaning of Mattis' letter until the media noted widely that it was severely critical. And quite possibly he hadn't (hasn't?) even read it when he lauded Mattis and announced his "retirement".
karynnj
(59,475 posts)Now, starting January 1, he can say anything he wants as long as he does not speak of things that are classified. Even then, I wonder if he could give his own full opinion to Democrats on the House and Senate Armed Serivices committees behind closed doors because they have appropriate clearances and reasons to know.
Grasswire2
(13,564 posts)SunSeeker
(51,377 posts)https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5c1fbba2e4b08aaf7a89f980
It wasn't just Trump. Putin wanted Mattis gone yesterday. Putin wants to officially annex eastern Ukraine (he already has his troops there).
Drifter
(4,751 posts)and makes it immediate.
Cheers
Drifter
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan's reputation around the Pentagon is he's a poor 'manager'
who doesn't know anything about the military.
He's friendly with Trump.
Spent many years as a Boeing executive.
Maxheader
(4,366 posts)SunSeeker
(51,377 posts)"...he was planning to stay through February, when he would attend a NATO defense ministers meeting.'
https://abc7ny.com/politics/trump-mattis-out-as-defense-secretary-jan-1;-deputy-to-be-acting-chief/4954501/
Now Trump's Putin stooge will go to that crucial meeting. God help us.
Grasswire2
(13,564 posts)Putin must be orgasmic.
firstwife
(115 posts)he didnt even get it. Someone had to explain Mattis words. Dotard. Richland, WA will be ecstatic to have Mattis back. At least, I will.
xor
(1,204 posts)It amazes me that some people still think Trump is a geeeeenius.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,111 posts)keithbvadu2
(36,369 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)What does he do to show his talent? Dance with poodles? Juggle knives? Does Shanahan have an agent?
Trumpy must be thinking that he's moderating a TV talent contest. If Shanahan were a female, Shartcannon would probably call her the "lovely and talented" Susan Shanahan!
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)is part of tRumps gaslighting strategy. stay strong.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)elmac
(4,642 posts)PSPS
(13,516 posts)Javaman
(62,442 posts)The only other time in my life I've been this scared is during the height of the Cold War
red dog 1
(27,648 posts)nitpicker
(7,153 posts)About the military-industrial complex.
adVance democracy
(36 posts)Not Sergei Shoigu? Wow.