Here’s Secretary Mattis’s resignation letter. Professional, polite, cutting.
If we’re very, very lucky we’ll get GEN (ret) Keane as the next Secretary of Defense. If we’re not, we’ll get Senator Cotton.
Edited to Add: I have never seen a Marine sign a letter without either “Semper Fi” or “S/F” over their signature. I have former Marine teammates from when I was at USAWC who finish their informal emails to me with “S/F”. This is a tell!
Open thread!
dmsilev
Jesus. “I believe in treating our allies with respect and thinking things through. You, on the other hand, deserve someone who agrees with you.”
lamh36
Mattis said NOT ONE NICE THING ABOUT CHUMP!
debbie
Too late to the last thread, so I’ll repeat: I’ve got five bucks on Trump firing Mattis in January just to screw him out of his pension. Trump loves doing that.
lamh36
Anonymous At Work
So polite of him not to add, “…and the Russian horse you rode in on” in the letter, isn’t it?
piratedan
considering the mental acuity of our current President, I’m guessing that after seeing that the resignation letter was two pages long that his response was… tl;dr….
dmsilev
@debbie: Mattis is already retired from the military (SecDef is a civilian post) so that pension is already his.
lamh36
of course he is…
Sam
This is the national security establishment joining the intel community in open rejection of Trump. Sure, Trump will get a new SECDEF, but Mattis is greatly respected in his community, and his resignation is speaking for the natsec community as a whole.
Gozer
Also omits the standard “It has been a pleasure working for this President” and instead lists honor as serving military and civilians.
Huge omission for a ret flag officer.
p.a.
Geordi, Data, Wesley, I don’t care how much the ship is endangered, get us out of this fucking timeline.
Miss Bianca
Actually, I don’t see it leavimg a mark, because I don’t think Trump is smart enough to perceive that he’s being insulted.
jl
Mattis is going to make sure there is a public fuss if Trumpsters try to do more damage to NATO and EU alliances at the upcoming meeting? That seems hinted at in the letter too. He’s willing to us House Congressional hearings for that?
Elizabelle
“I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.”
[You, I could have done without.]
Good on Mattis. That letter is crystal clear. SO: Are we entirely out of adults in this administration? Was he the last?
lamh36
Elizabelle
@Gozer: Actually, exemplary courage in leaving that out.
lamh36
japa21
Why are you trying to give me nightmares, Adam?
lamh36
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Also, Marines end their correspondence with either S/F or Semper Fi in place of Sincerely or Collegially, etc above their signatures. For those in the know, the lack of that will be noted.
Tim C.
Would Cotton take the job and oversee the pullouts Trump is trying to oversee? This is *very* unpredictable at the moment. Bolton, Cotton and the usual crew want more war. This seems like there’s going to be a ton of confusion.
guachi
WASF.
Baud
@Tim C.: Plus, he has presidential ambitions, and I’m not sure if he thinks joining with Trump now will be in his best interests.
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: His pension comes from his retirement as a Marine. It is separate from whatever civilian political appointee retirement benefits he might receive from serving as Secretary of Defense.
Quinerly
For what it is worth, Ret Colonel Jack Jacobs on MSNBC saying Mattis was fired… that he knows Mattis well… And that he would never leave his “post.”
schrodingers_cat
The nominee will be a Putin stooge. Clearly Putin is running our defense and foreign policy now.
lamh36
Oh good God Betty C…your Senator is a simpleton.
Baud
@lamh36:
Fixed.
jl
I have a feeling, and hope, we will hear quite a bit about what Mattis ‘really thinks’ between now and his retirement date. If he plans on making a fuss before he leaves, and use public platform to oppose unofficially what he cannot prevent officially, he seems to have thought out how to do it. He’s set his last day in office, to put pressure on a finding a replacement, and also hinted he’ll be mouthing off on prominent platforms between now and February, to scare off any ‘cottoning’ up to unacceptable replacements.
Any Congressional hearings, or preps for NATO meeting should be interesting. What is Trump going to do? Summarily fire Mattis and lock him our of his office, if he mouths off, after Mattis has set his last day in office?
Mattis was very wrong about some things during Obama administration. But I did notice when he changed his mind about Iran nuke treaty when he saw it was working well. As a commenter said, at least Mattis is not an incompetent and corrupt maniac and dimwit. A very low bar, but an important one of a person running the military.
Edit: a person with a taste or extremely high risk high return bets, might make one on chances that Mattis has to hang around a bit longer than, like Kelly, if he can make sufficient fuss in his remaining days.
Adam L Silverman
@japa21: Forewarned is forearmed.
lamh36
Oh lord…
Betty Cracker
That letter’s got more shade than a rainforest!
Raven
@jl: Forget it.
oldster
Weird misuse of the Constitution here:
“That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.”
When the Framers put “to provide for the common defense” into the Preamble, they meant “the defense of *us* in common,” i.e. we, the people of the United States. They certainly did not mean “the common defense of our global allies,” which is what it has to mean in Mattis’ letter.
Now, look — I myself am a (((globalist))) of the worst sort, and I think that the US *should* also be providing for the common defense of its allies. I’m pro-Nato, pro-UN, and pro-internationalist. So I don’t mind the sentiment.
But there are going to be a lot of “America First”, “anti-globalist” heads going kablooey when they read this misappropriation of the Constitution’s language.
And I will enjoy watching it.
JPL
whoops!
TaMara (HFG)
When nuclear reactors meltdown there are safety measures. This administration has no such safety features. Hold onto your butts.
Ruckus
@Tim C.:
Like there isn’t a fuck ton of confusion now?
It’s like a crazy zoo that only has monkeys and all they do all day is fling their shit at each other. On TV, with faux news cheering them on and giving style points.
Tim C.
@Baud: True. I’m wondering how much more the establishment will be able to take. Until a couple days ago I was assuming Trump would last until 2020, but now I’m not so sure. The war party is not pleased.
lamh36
@Elizabelle: Just watched CNN panel and Toobin and Barbara Starr I beleive both said there are no more adults in the room.
I mean what happens if the staff and higher up all just started resigning on masse? What can Chump really do about it?
jl
@Raven: OK. Why? You applying for the job?
Miss Bianca
@lamh36: WHY, Mother of God, why, WHY do the fucking news outlets give any space to Nazis? Can’t they just fucking say NO? What fucking point is there in having him come on to defend white supremacy?
Unless they’re just planning to ask him about his hair. And nothing else. *That* would be worth watching.
japa21
@Adam L Silverman: Actually, as soon as I saw the news, Cotton’s name was the first thing that popped into my mind. Ruined my appetite for dinner.
lamh36
JPL
@lamh36: I stream CNN and when he came on, I turned it off. I might add that he looks better without that fake crap that was on his head on Sunday. Trump must have given him a demerit for that appearance.
Raven
@jl: His resignation letter will be it.
Tim C.
@Ruckus: HEY! Monkeys have a very well established social structure! Don’t say mean things about monkeys. And I say that as someone who once worked at a for real, literal, zoo and got pretty good at ducking monkey poop. I did know a guy who got peed on by a rhino once though. Not really something most people have on their bucket list.
jl
@Raven: OK, I’m willing to do an email BJ beer bet on that.
If you apply, I’ll send a great LOR.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
lamh36
Adam L Silverman
@Quinerly: That wouldn’t surprise me at all. That Mattis got wind it was coming and had the letter prepared and just waiting to be used. All he had to do was add the date. I did this at a job once. Carried the thing from my 3rd day on the job till the day I resigned 9 month’s later.
lamh36
rikyrah
@dmsilev:
Tee hee hee ?
Raven
@jl: I don’t drink.
Ksmiami
@Elizabelle: is it time for us to storm the fucking gates
rikyrah
This doesn’t make me happy. But, Mattis lasted longer than I thought he would.
bemused
@lamh36:
Is there no end to this day of infamy? I’m getting dizzy with something appalling happening almost every hour.
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
He really was the last adult.
Quinerly
@Adam L Silverman: I don’t see how Mattis stays on until the end of February.
debbie
If the consequences weren’t so serious, it might be fun watching cat fights between Cotton and Bolton.
Martin
Man, Mattis really stuck it to Trump in that letter – it’s just packed with definite articles.
rikyrah
@TaMara (HFG):
Terrifying what you just wrote ??
jl
@lamh36: ” ISIS has been defeated.”
Wolf can cite a Trump tweet from this morning that claims ISIS is not defeated yet. Just the US giving out some tough love to allies and Russia to finish the job, instead of putting too much burden on US.
oatler.
@Ksmiami: We’re going to storm the gates in January, provided that bloated carcass hasn’t shot himself in the bunker.
germy
Silverman for Secretary of Defense!
Roger Moore
@TaMara (HFG):
Strictly speaking, a nuclear meltdown is necessarily the result of a lot of safety features failing. There may be additional safety features to prevent further catastrophe, but a ton of shit has to go wrong to get to the point of melting down.
raven
@bemused: Hang on the BAD BOY MOWERS GASPARILLA BOWL is on at 8!
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: At least it wasn’t another Bible quotation.
JPL
@Adam L Silverman: What is happening? He wants plans about Afghanistan withdrawal also? I’m surprised at this point that he hasn’t shut down all European bases.
Yutsano
@Adam L Silverman:
I wasn’t paying attention before.
I just noticed it now.
Holy.
Shitballs.
He could not have done a better “Bless Your Heart”.
debbie
@lamh36:
I can’t believe the veterans among Trump’s supporters are happy with all these premature withdrawals.
jl
@Raven: One doesn’t actually drink e-mailed beers. They are like the food pix.
The Thin Black Duke
If only someone warned us that Trump was a Russian stooge.
raven
@debbie: There are a lot of stupid fucking vets.
Martin
@Adam L Silverman: I write a new one every year, every change in boss, every change in job description. Carry it in my bag. Been tempted to pull it out a few times, but mostly it just serves as a reminder that it’s my choice to do this, and that reminder is usually enough.
lamh36
I’m just saying…
Folks..need to be careful w/just all together championing Chump on Syria…one should want troops out of harms way in unnessary wars, but there has to be detailed plans, not just random let’s do it with NO preparation or even discussing with the folks who have to arrange it.
Let”s not even think about the fact that Chump is so darn erratic…he could just as likely change his mind, or send the troops somewhere else.
Mike in NC
So SECDEF Tom Cotton it is. Next stop, Tehran, baby!
raven
@jl: You’re either on the bus or off the bus. K Keysey
Miss Bianca
@germy: Why would you wish that on poor Adam?!
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: That makes sense. He can’t come out during daylight.
Bill Arnold
@Miss Bianca:
I’m sure somebody will inform him, perhaps safely out of tantrum range.
lamh36
GregB
These are some grim times friends.
I am afraid Mattis just played the part of the cook on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Gravenstone
One hears about political appointees having pro forma resignation letters at the ready almost immediately after assuming their duties.This is not one of those letters. I do wonder whether Mattiss crafted it in direct response to the reported face to face with Trump, or if he’s had it around for a while and that meeting was the final straw that lead him to make use of it?
feebog
The wheels on the bus are definitely coming off. Folks in Iran likely not to happy to see Mattis leaving.
Bill Arnold
So the job needs Senate confirmation right? Which means either an existing Senate-approved cabinet member or new confirmation hearings?
jl
@lamh36: Commenter in previous thread posted a link with evidence that the Syria pullout is due to Turkey demanding to Trump personally that US troops get out of the way so they could crack down on Kurdish forces. If true, that shows how much thought Trump put into it, a strongman Trump admires (or who has something on Trump) wants it.
God knows what went into the Afghanistan decision.
You are right, even if the general direction of these Trump decisions seem good, this kind of decision needs to be made with careful and competent planning and purpose. That doesn’t, and cannot, exist as long as Trump holds office.
raven
@feebog: Well, is this moron an isolationist or not?
Adam L Silverman
@germy: Nope. Not going to happen.
Leto
@Tim C.: I’m not sure I want to meet/know anyone who has “get pee’d on by rhino” on their bucket list. Or at least don’t let me know about that particular bucket list.
Adam L Silverman
@JPL: Afghanistan withdrawal makes sense, as I wrote last night. Or it would if we were seriously negotiating a settlement that included the Afghan government and the Taliban. And wasn’t simply going to be: “everyone out, you’ve got 60 days”.
TIm C.
@feebog: On the other hand, the idea that we would “win” a war with Iran on any kind of realistic terms is absurd. This might end up being great news for the government there.
NotMax
White men don’t pick cotton. //
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Under-assitant West Coat Promo Man>
I got a seersucker suit. . . .
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Unass that AO!
Mike J
Rogue NASA is tweeting screengrabs of news chyrons. Worth reading:
https://twitter.com/RogueNASA/status/1075891938375753728
lamh36
Nancy SMASH tearing Chump a new one!
Humdog
@lamh36: I was just remarking this week that Florida has both stupid and evil covered in their u.s. senators come 2019. We started going through the other states but got distracted. Might be an interesting general discussion here sometime.
NotMax
SecDef Lindsey Graham.
Now there’s a picture unsettling eight ways from Sunday.
lamh36
And now Schumer carving Chump a new one, also calling Ryan and McCarthy.on submitting a bill that they know won’t pass the Senate
Senator Chuck Schumer: “President Trump is plunging the country into chaos…President Trump is throwing a temper tantrum.”
Adam L Silverman
@Gravenstone: My guess is he had it around and used it when needed.
Adam L Silverman
@jl: Remember the Trump Towers Istanbul project is dependent on Erdogan allowing it to happen.
Roger Moore
@Humdog:
Fortunately, between Feinstein and Harris, my state has neither stupid nor evil covered.
lamh36
Nancy ” maybe he thinks if he shuts down government he can golf morE comfortably…that’s not how it works”
NANCY SMASH!!!
germy
Jackie
@Bill Arnold: He’ll learn what the letter really means from FOX news. They’ll be insulted and enraged for Trump. I might have to record Fox and Friends tomorrow morning.
jl
@Adam L Silverman: Well, OK, then. If true that watching Trump real estate projects is a good way to understand US foreign policy that is very helpful. Thanks.
tobie
@Adam L Silverman:I would think that the precondition for a settlement is to enter into negotiations and in that context discuss the date and manner of departure. As Trump knows nothing about negotiating, he just announced we’re leaving and, I imagine, the Taliban is thinking to itself, “Good riddance, cut-and-runners.”
SiubhanDuinne
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: @lamh36:
Honest to fuck, I have no idea any longer what is real and what is spoof.
lamh36
Nancy’s last words… “READ THE LETTER” (talking about Mattis resignation letter)
PaulWartenberg
I got home an hour ago, had dinner, checked twitter, and BASICALLY LOST MY SHIT OHGODNO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Tim C.
@Leto: I can think of a certain president who might have that as a goal…..
NotMax
@germy
He had an uncle who once had a mole removed, therefore knows all there is to know about removal.
Adam L Silverman
@jl: The Trump Doctrine. Erdogan also agreed to buy some missile systems. And my educated guess is that Erdogan agreed to stop beating the Kashoggi stuff too. I can’t prove that last part, but it would make sense.
SiubhanDuinne
@Gravenstone:
I, for one, can’t wait to read his memoir.
Elie
I feel no sympathy for Mattis who lowered his self respect through this whole absurd situation. He surely knew what this administration represents. It only could have ended this way. Did he actually think he was gonna save the republic all by his lonesome? Give me a break!
Adam L Silverman
@tobie: As the Afghans have been telling us for 17 years: “you have the watches, we have the time”.
Mike in DC
That’s a lot of Cabinet level officials leaving in the first 2 years. Almost certainly a modern historical record. By my count, that’s pretty much all of the “adult supervision” over Trump. And we’re maintaining support for KSA’s war in Yemen, pulling out of Syria, now pulling out of Afghanistan, and lifting some Russian sanctions.
WaterGirl
@Adam L Silverman:
I’m sure you’re right. Reading that makes me sick to my stomach.
tobie
@Adam L Silverman: It’s a good quip. Drives the point home.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
Yeah?
JPL
@Adam L Silverman: Do you think he might try closing down bases in Europe? Just asking because a friend wants to know what type of emergency kits to buy.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
You had him at “Sunday” (I’m pretty sure).
Quaker in a Basement
Mattis didn’t come right out and call Trump a fuckup. But only barely.
NotMax
If no one has said so already, it’s wag the dogfaces.
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: Khashoggi who?
JPL
Erin Burnette on CNN is reading the entire letter.
Gin & Tonic
@Mike in DC: I was reading in The Economist that the turnover in senior non-Cabinet staff is higher than any of the six previous Presidents.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: combined?
Adam L Silverman
@JPL: We don’t have all that many bases. And the ones we have are major headquarters for the Service Component Commands (3 star HQ); European Command (4 star HQ); Africa Command (4 star HQ); the Naval Air Station at Rota, which houses Naval Special Warfare units operating out of Europe; and the training facility at Hohenfels in Germany. There aren’t a lot of operational forces left in Europe, so there’s not a lot to bring home.
Unless he’s going to redo how the DOD is structured and close down entire geographic combatant commands, service component commands, and theater commands (a lot of times these last two are the same thing), then I doubt it. Also, he’d have a complete DOD revolt if he tried.
Mike in NC
@Adam L Silverman: Khashoggi’s sudden suicide by bone saw was one of the sad but overlooked stories of 2018.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: Not surprising at all.
Gin & Tonic
@WaterGirl: No. Would be sad but not unexpected if it were.
lamh36
I think this is a good question. But some folks too busy cheering the haphazard decision, and not paying attention to the fact that he has no details on the how and hasn’t even consulted the exact folk who job it would be to arrange the withdrawal.
And especially with someone like Chump who we all know AIN’T a smart guy and easily manipulated to think it’s all his idea, especially if it gets him good press or warm feeling from his base.
So ur thinking it was becasue of a conversation with his talk with Turkey counterpart?
Gin & Tonic
@WaterGirl: Here are their exact words: “The administration’s staffing problems reflect how chaotically it has been run. Turnover in senior non-cabinet secretary roles stands at 62%, higher than that of Mr Trump’s six nearest predecessors.”
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam: In his letter, Secretary Mattis uses a term I don’t think I’ve come across previously: “Congressional posture hearings.” What precisely is a “posture” hearing, and how is it distinct from any other Congressional hearing?
JPL
@Adam L Silverman: So it could happen? Although I say that lightly, trump does appear to be degenerating, and unless the republicans step up, we are in uncharted territory.
Gin & Tonic
@SiubhanDuinne: You can’t slouch.
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: It is part of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee’s oversight hearings that deal with US military force posture. What are the troop numbers, where are they assigned or deployed, how are we generating them (recruitment, initial military training, home station training, regularly scheduled training and education for career advancement in rank, occupational specialty, etc, exercises), deployments, etc.
Does that make more sense.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: Thanks. Today’s news has been seriously overwhelming for me. I think we are seeing the not unexpected move into the “more chaos” era as Trump starts to get a sense of just how much trouble he is in.
hotshoe
@GregB:
god that makes the hair on my arms stand up!
MaryRC
@piratedan: Not enough graphs and bullet points.
Adam L Silverman
@JPL: Anything can happen. I try not to borrow trouble from the future if I don’t have too.
Elizabelle
This no doubt worries the establishment types, military, and even GOP politicos (the not batshit crazy ones) much more or at least as much as it does us.
SO: I think you are going to see some strategizing to regain some adult control. Trump is not a dictator. He is not a monarch. Even intransigence by the GOP Senators may not work. There are more of us, we citizens and public servants, and we see the danger.
You don’t let TOTUS destroy our security posture because … Republican politics. No.
Trump just brought another world of trouble atop himself. Have courage.
NotMax
@SiubhanDuinne
“Defense posture of the nation” was a commonly enough heard phrase back when (late 60s, and predating that) that it was incorporated into this spoof PSA.
jl
@Adam L Silverman: Nice to have that choice. Trouble from the future borrows me! That might be a Russian proverb.
Platonailedit
So much for the military types saving the sovereign nation from the totus thug.
cmorenc
@NotMax:
Not nearly so unsettling as SecDef Cotton. Graham isn’t completely bat-shit crazy, but at least comes to stupid decisions after careful deliberation.
PaulWartenberg
Mattis is subtly accusing trump of NOT having America’s nation defense interests at heart, that trump is willing to let Russia and China have their way dominating the rest of the world (and even us).
I hope the Senate calls on Mattis during the replacement hearings to get him on record about what specific acts and decisions trump committed to make Mattis say these things.
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
Yes, thank you!
Lyrebird
@Adam L Silverman:
Funny, those were my exact words, too, when I read the letter, even though I know much less.
Seatbelts, everyone?
Gravenstone
@Elizabelle:
There’s an exceedingly simple way to obtain that, impeachment followed by conviction. Of course, we know the Senate Republicans don’t have the stones for it, since they’re still trying to squeeze as much personal benefit from this maladministration as possible. Only then will they slink away.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@germy:
No joke, Adam would be better than anybody else the GOP Senate will eventually approve of.
Roger Moore
@Elizabelle:
He may not be a dictator or monarch, but he is the commander in chief of our military. Deciding things like “we should get out of Syria” is within the military and foreign policy roles of his office. Congress certainly has the right to dispute this kind of decision, but it’s really dangerous to suggest that unelected members of the foreign policy establishment should be able to overturn the president’s decisions because they disagree. If we want to reverse this decision, we need to make sure that we’re doing it within the bounds of our constitutional system.
trnc
@Bill Arnold:
Yeah, but so what? The senate just put an alcoholic rapist on the supreme court. Who couldn’t make the cut, based on that standard?
Chris
@jl:
I remember saying at some point that he was the only member of the administration (obviously including POTUS) who didn’t seem to be either a crook or a fascist. Not a high bar, but he clears it.
Adam L Silverman
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Why do you hate me?
Chris
@Tim C.:
But what’s their constituency? Neocons and other types with some sort of well-defined “remaking the world” idea don’t really have one outside of DC pundits. The voters who support them the most tend to be your garden variety xenophobes who like the idea of killing Arabs to get even, but those guys are all-in behind Trump anyway. No one is going to pick them over Trump, so if they pick a fight with him over this, they’ll get primaried in short order.
catclub
@Bill Arnold: another job for mick mulvaney
magurakurin
@TaMara (HFG):
small quibble.
Ask the people who used to live around Fukushima about that.
jonas
I thought if a bad-ass general with the nickname “Mad Dog” gave Trump his candid advice, Trump was going to take that to the bank. That was the whole point, right? Remember how he announced Mattis’s nomination? No more defense secretaries nicknamed “Squishy McMarshmallow”? Now we were going to have a real fuckin’ MAN in charge!
Oh, well.
Ksmiami
@oatler.: say what you will but Hitler was probably a much better marksman than cheeto
Mary G
I will never completely respect Mattis for helping the Saudis bomb the crap out of Yemen under Obama (who lost a lot of my respect over it too) and then certifying to Trump that the Saudis were bombing only military targets when they have been shooting up town markets and fishing boats with gleeful abandon. That said, he seemed like the last sane person in the room and for the first time I am seriously afraid for America.
jonas
At least Mattis wasn’t unceremoniously fired via Twitter like Rex Tillerson. It would be pretty hilarious to get those two to sit down over a bourbon on the rocks (or two) and just let them start talking. Hooo-wheee!
VOR
According to the Woodward book, Keane was Trump’s first choice for SecDef. Trump saw Keane on Fox News. Keane declined for family reasons and recommended Mattis.
So who does Fox News have as military commentators?
Mr Stagger Lee
Job opportunity for John Bolton? Frank Gaffney? Also how about North Korea telling Trump to F*** Off over their nuclear program.
Chris
@Mary G:
One of the alarm bells I had about Mattis was his bizarre statements to the effect that Iran was behind Daesh. That’s not just ordinary saber rattling, that’s straight up “Iraq was behind 9/11” level loony.
Still head and shoulders over the rest of the admin, not least because he could learn and listen to common sense even on Iran (i.e. the treaty). But still.