(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)Many Americans were surprised when Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced his plan to leave President Donald Trump’s cabinet in 2019. Now, we have his full resignation letter, not just the selective excerpts that the lying liberal media released out of context to make it sound like he hated our president. We know exactly why he’s leaving the administration and how he really feels about Trump.
In a resignation letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense James Mattis revealed that he is leaving the administration “because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.”
“Dear Mr. President,” wrote Mattis, “I have been privileged to serve as our country’s 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.”
“I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department’s business practices for greater performance,” he continued. “Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.”
“One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,” added Mattis. “While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.”
“Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world,” he wrote. “Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATO’s 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.”
“Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours,” Mattis continued. “It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model – gaining veto authority over other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions — to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.”
“My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues,” he stated. “We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.”
“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,” Mattis explained. “I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.”
According to The Daily Caller, names being floated as potential replacements for Mattis include retired Gen. Jack Keane and Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, an Army first lieutenant who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Based on the resignation letter, Mattis wasn’t in perfect agreement with Trump, but he was still proud of the progress that was made. The liberal media should be ashamed of twisting his words.
