OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:35 PM PT — Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018
Defense Secretary James Mattis will retire at the end of February, President Trump announces in a tweet made Thursday.
In a letter to the President, Mattis explains he will be stepping down so President Trump can appoint someone new in the position who more closely aligns with his agenda. His decision to quit comes a day after President Trump announced he would pull U.S. troops from Syria.
The two have clashed in the past over issues including the pulling of the U.S. from of the Iran Nuclear Deal, the banning of transgender troops, and giving U.S. troops the authority to shoot asylum seekers while stationed at the U.S. border. The president also overruled Mattis’ nomination to the joint Chiefs of Staff and put in his own pick, a rarity in American history.
Since this summer, there have been reports claiming Mattis’ influence in the White House has diminished, as less people whom Mattis has worked well with remain in the administration. Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly have all left the administration to be replaced with Iranian hardliners.
Despite this, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Mattis and the President share a good relationship with one another. She added, Mattis’ two-and-a-half years of service as Defense Secretary and his decision to stay with the administration for a couple more months shows his willingness to cooperate with the president.
Mattis will stay with the Defense Department until February 28. President Trump has yet to name his successor, but several names have been floated, including Senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, as well as retired army general Jack Keane.
