Newest security worry: Trump without Mattis

The Pentagon chief's widely expected departure is fueling anxiety among officials of both parties who have viewed him as a force for stability.

By CONNOR O’BRIEN and WESLEY MORGAN 10/20/2018 06:44 AM EDT

National security leaders fear that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is on his way out — and that Donald Trump’s next Pentagon chief will be far more subservient to the president’s unilateral and bombastic whims.

Mattis was instrumental in pulling back on Trump’s vow to “carpet bomb” ISIS or pull troops from Afghanistan. He moderated the U.S. military response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons and openly opposed Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.

Now Trump’s reverence for the retired four-star general has worn thin, and Mattis is widely expected to depart his post sometime after the November elections, according to multiple Pentagon and administration officials with knowledge of personnel discussions. And that’s fueling anxiety among officials of both parties who have viewed him for almost two years as a force for stability.

"Secretary Mattis is one of the only reassuring figures in the Trump administration, and I don’t mean that as a Democratic partisan," said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), a member of the Appropriations Committee's defense panel. "I mean when our partners and our adversaries think about the United States and the Department of Defense, knowing that Secretary Mattis is there strengthens our hand."

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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/20/newest-security-worry-trump-without-mattis-868568