James Mattis
| James Mattis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| 26th United States Secretary of Defense From: January 20, 2017 – December 31, 2018 | |||
| President | Donald John Trump | ||
| Predecessor | Ashton Carter | ||
| Successor | Pat Shanahan | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Independent | ||
James Norman Mattis (September 8, 1950) was the 26th United States Secretary of Defense and retired United States Marine Corps general, he was also responsible as commander for the USCC and the UCC for military operations in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and Central Asia.
In 2016 he was nominated by then president-elect Donald Trump to become the new Defense Secretary, on January 20, 2017, he was sworn in. President Trump replaced him as Defense Secretary as of January 1, 2019.
Secretary Mattis also put his effort into increasing and maintaining military effectiveness and fiscal responsibility.[1] He took a more visible role in the Trump Administration in 2018 compared to the previous year,[2] and he helped advance the Trump agenda on several fronts.[3]
However, as a globalist, Mattis disagreed with President Trump several times.[4] In December 2018, he announced he would resign in February of the following year, and Trump then replaced him earlier, as of January 1, 2019.[5] At a cabinet meeting shortly after Mattis's firing, President Trump stated that Mattis did little to help him.[6] Mattis criticized President Trump's policies and supported establishment positions after leaving the Defense Department.[7]
After leaving office Mattis criticized President Obama’s orders to withdraw forces in Afghanistan without consideration for what was happening on the ground. In an interview with NPR, Mattis said he had been given “two contradictory objectives” in 2011 when he was leading Central Command and overseeing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq/ Mattis said, “The forces under my command at CENTCOM were to degrade the Taliban while building up the Afghan army. They were also to withdraw on a strict timetable, independent of circumstances on the ground. We could do one or the other, but not both. What you have got to do is figure out what it is you intend to do at the outset [of a war] and then hold firm to that and don’t half-step it. I think that we have had serious policy challenges in figuring out exactly what it is we intend to do and then holding firm to that vision.”[8]
References
- ↑ Wong, Kristina (December 31, 2017). Why Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Doesn’t Carry Challenge Coins: ‘I’m Saving Money for Bombs’. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ↑ Wong, Kristina (March 28, 2018). Defense Secretary Jim Mattis — President Trump’s New Battle Buddy? Breitbart News. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ↑ Wong, Kristina (August 30, 2018). Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Works Non-Stop–This Is What He’s Achieved So Far. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ↑ Mitchell, Ellen (September 16, 2018). Five times Mattis split with Trump. The Hill. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ↑ Byas, Steve (December 21, 2018). Mattis Was Just Another Interventionist and Globalist. The New American. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- ↑ Multiple references:
- Samuels, Brett (January 2, 2019). Trump claims he 'essentially fired' Mattis, knocks US military strategy. The Hill. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- Boyer, Dave (January 2, 2019). Trump: I 'essentially' fired Defense Secretary Mattis; 'What's he done for me?'. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- Spiering, Charlie (January 2, 2019). Donald Trump: I ‘Essentially Fired’ Jim Mattis — ‘Dissatisfied’ with Progress on Afghanistan. Breitbart News. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ↑ Multiple references:
- Virgil (August 28, 2019). Virgil: Jim Mattis Defends the Establishment—No Matter What. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- Singman, Brooke (August 28, 2019). Mattis swipes at Trump, warns of ‘storm clouds gathering’ amid fractured alliances. Fox News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- Burns, Robert (August 30, 2019). Though comments veiled, Mattis repudiates former boss Trump. Associated Press. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mattis-slams-obama-for-giving-him-contradictory-objectives-in-afghanistan
