Morning Jolt: James Mattis Can’t Work for Trump Anymore

Making the click-through worthwhile: It's all pretty grim today. Defense Secretary James Mattis resigns, the pullout from Syria appears likely to happen, and the government shutdown starts soon. Hey, Merry Christmas, everybody!

The Resignation of James Mattis Is the Scariest Moment of Trump's Presidency

This is bad. Really, really bad.

Defense Secretary James Mattis was arguably the best and most important cabinet decision that President Trump made. Indisputably qualified and brimming with experience, he personified what the Trump administration presumably wanted to be: tough, smart, thoroughly reassuring, and sometimes intimidating. As a man who had seen war up close many times, Mattis sought to avoid it. If it couldn’t be avoided, Mattis was ready to fight it and win it.

Foreign-allied leaders who were freaked out by Trump came away comforted and encouraged by Mattis. Military leaders often have to work with their foreign counterparts on joint exercises, coalition operations, on foreign bases, or as military attachés, and our uniformed officers often end up becoming adept diplomats, used to working out differences, figuring ...

December 21 2018

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James Mattis Can't Work for Trump Anymore Jim Geraghty Making the click-through worthwhile: It's all pretty grim today. Defense Secretary James Mattis resigns, the pullout from Syria appears likely to happen, and the government shutdown starts soon. Hey, Merry Christmas, everybody! The Resignation of James Mattis Is the Scariest Moment of Trump's Presidency This is bad. Really, really bad. Defense Secretary James Mattis was arguably the best and most important cabinet decision that President Trump made. Indisputably qualified and brimming with experience, he personified what the Trump administration presumably wanted to be: tough, smart, thoroughly reassuring, and sometimes intimidating. As a man who had seen war up close many times, Mattis sought to avoid it. If it couldn’t be avoided, Mattis was ready to fight it and win it. Foreign-allied leaders who were freaked out by Trump came away comforted and encouraged by Mattis. Military leaders often have to work with their foreign counterparts on joint exercises, coalition operations, on foreign bases, or as military attachés, and our uniformed officers often end up becoming adept diplomats, used to working out differences, figuring ... Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories Kicking Our Allies Mona Charen President Trump's decision to pull all 2,000 American troops from Syria is a gift to our enemies and a betrayal of our friends -- especially the Kurds, who fought ISIS when no one else would, and the Israelis, who will now have Iran more firmly on their doorstep. Apollo 8 and Our Privileged Planet Guillermo Gonzalez and Stephen C. Meyer The first astronauts to the moon saw what astronomers later concluded: that Earth is a life-friendly oasis. Pope Francis Orders Priests Who Have Abused Minors to Turn Themselves in Mairead McArdle Pope Francis on Friday called on priests who have sexually abused minors to turn themselves in to civil authorities. ADVERTISEMENT The Insufferable James Comey Rich Lowry Comey has revealed himself to be a politically savvy operator who matches his bureaucratic skills with an impregnable sense of self-righteousness. Congress Wasn't Always Just A Peanut Gallery Jonah Goldberg Congress, the primary branch of government, has ceded much of its power to the executive branch. Welcome to Marwen Augments Political Reality Armond White This new movie takes on a tragedy -- only to dumb it down and politicize it. NR Won't Be Cowed by a Litigious Michael Mann The Editors To those who would abridge, undermine, or attempt to circumvent the First Amendment, our response is, as it ever was: Get Lost. McConnell Says He Is 'Distressed' Over Mattis Resignation Mairead McArdle Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said that he is 'distressed' over defense secretary Jim Mattis' resignation after Mattis clashed with President Trump. ADVERTISEMENT JOIN NRPLUS All Our Content. Fewer Ads. Members-Only Privileges. NRPLUS is everything you would associate with a digital magazine subscription, and a whole lot more ─ including up to 90% fewer on-site ads, access to our private Facebook group, full commenting privileges, and invites to our writer/editor conference calls. SAVE 30% TODAY Photo Essays Cartoons of the Day: December 21, 2018 Cartoons of the Day: December 20, 2018 ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.