Defense Secretary Mattis to leave White House in February [full resignation letter]

Secretary of Defense James Mattis has offered his resignation to President Donald Trump effective February 28, 2019.

Mattis spoke of relationships with allies, his agreement with Trump that the U.S. should not the policeman of the world and appreciated the achievements that the administration had made on rebuilding the military. The Defense Secretary then concluded his resignation letter saying: “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.”

The president has ordered the withdrawal of troops from Syria and is reportedly asking the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a plan to do the same in Afghanistan although it is unclear whether bringing the troops home is the source of Mattis’ sudden resignation.

“He and the president have a good relationship,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters. “But sometimes they disagree.”

James Mattis Resignation Letter”