Trump Cools On ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis: Keeps Mattis Out Of Loop, Doesn’t Listen To Him

Defense Secretary James Mattis attends a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Defense Secretary James Mattis attends a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Secretary of Defense James Mattis has slowly lost the President’s ear in recent months, a rift that dates back to President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, NBC News reported on Monday.

According to current and former White House and DOD officials, Mattis opposed the embassy move and has been left out of key Trump administration decisions in recent months, including the withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, the decision to pause “war games” with South Korea and, just last week, Trump’s announcement ordering the Pentagon to move interplanetary.  

Mattis and Trump reportedly “don’t really see eye-to-eye,” one former White House official told NBC, and Trump has started to rely more on his secretary of state and national security adviser — whose appointment Mattis opposed — for guidance.

Trump reportedly believes that Mattis looks down on him and has a habit of slow rolling his defense policy decisions.

Read NBC’s full report here.

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Notable Replies

  1. “Trump reportedly believes that Mattis looks down on him”

    I have to blame Trump for this. He hired someone whom one could argue has qualifications for his position. I feel pretty certain Trump will never make that mistake again.

  2. Trump reportedly believes that Mattis looks down on him[.]

    Why would Mattis do that?

  3. Mattis is competent and sane. It was only a matter of time before Trump turned on him.

  4. That’s scary enough, but wait till he replaces Mattis with Ann Coulter as SecDef.

  5. Keeps Mattis Out Of Loop, Doesn’t Listen To Him

    I remember that Melania had the same observation, that Trump did not listen to her either.

    Seems you have to be the most evil person in the room to make the cut.

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