Trump unloads on James Mattis, says he 'essentially' fired defense secretary

[Right_in_Virginia]

@Right_in_Virginia

To swallow this Trump as all-knowing, all-wise, never-at-fault belief system,

This wins the non sequitur post of the day award .... and as such is not worth further comment @BassWrangler

[Night Hides Not]

@Right_in_Virginia

To swallow this Trump as all-knowing, all-wise, never-at-fault belief system, one must believe an increasingly large percentage of previously lauded people must be either incompetent or part of some anti-Trump conspiracy. I wonder at what point will you die-hard Trumpsters have your Occam's Razor moment. Or will you still be clinging to this sinking ship as it goes under, like some civilian version of Captain Queeg, muttering about the strawberries (deep state)?

It's too late, we've blown past this sign at warp speed.

[Night Hides Not]

This wins the non sequitur post of the day award .... and as such is not worth further comment @BassWrangler

I beg to differ...a casual reading of your posts over the past two years proves @BassWrangler is spot on.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Sorry...

[RoosGirl]

So he’s the military version of Trump? 

Anyway, he’s firing the same person that Obama fired. Is trump an idiot for hiring Mattis, or is trump and idiot for firing Mattis?

I think the answer to this question is "Yes."

[Right_in_Virginia]

I beg to differ...a casual reading of your posts over the past two years proves @BassWrangler is spot on.

Beg all you want @Night Hides Not  The post was a non sequitur for this conversation.  Try not to drag your personal prejudices from thread to thread year after year.  You'll get nowhere.

[Chosen Daughter]

Mattis did not ‘apply’ for SecDef. He was recommended by members of the transition team, partly because he had disagreed with the Obama admin approach to Iran. He was hawkish on Iran and knew they were the primary source of trouble in the ME. That’s why he was unceremoniously dismissed by Obama. Once the deal was made, he felt it was imperfect. However, he felt staying in a bad deal gave us better options than no deal at all. Stick to FLOTUS fashion and other fluff pieces. You’re going to hurt yourself trying to be substantive.

Trump is an idiot.

[Sanguine]

Trump is an idiot.

No, Trump is correct.  Mattis supported staying in Syria.  For a whole lot of reasons that is wrong. 

[Chosen Daughter]

No, Trump is correct.  Mattis supported staying in Syria.  For a whole lot of reasons that is wrong.

I have to disagree.

[Sanguine]

I have to disagree.

Why were we there in the first place and why should we stay in Syria?

[BassWrangler]

No, Trump is correct.  Mattis supported staying in Syria.  For a whole lot of reasons that is wrong.

@Sanguine

Than the proper way to have handled it would have been to ask for his resignation, and then tell the press that "he served with honor and distinction, but we have a fundamental difference on our policy in Syria and Afghanistan. I will be selecting a SecDef who will be more aligned with the commitments that I made to the American people to bring our troops home."

Instead, we have Trump going on Twitter and slandering Mattis. To most people, that makes Trump look bad more than it does Mattis.

This behavior will make it difficult or impossible for Trump to find anyone competent to take cabinet positions.

[Sanguine]

@Sanguine

Than the proper way to have handled it would have been to ask for his resignation, and then tell the press that "he served with honor and distinction, but we have a fundamental difference on our policy in Syria and Afghanistan. I will be selecting a SecDef who will be more aligned with the commitments that I made to the American people to bring our troops home."

Instead, we have Trump going on Twitter and slandering Mattis. To most people, that makes Trump look bad more than it does Mattis.

This behavior will make it difficult or impossible for Trump to find anyone competent to take cabinet positions.

I hear you, but I'm talking about the base issues; not Trump's style. 

[DB]

I hear you, but I'm talking about the base issues; not Trump's style.

Trump's style IS a base issue with real consequences. What competent person would take any position in his administration. He only leaves wreckage in his wake.

[edpc]

What competent person would take any position in his administration.

Think of the bullets we dodged. Giuliani was considered for AG, but he wanted SoS. Thankfully, he got neither. Picture that disaster in any major cabinet position.

[Frank Cannon]

Trump's style IS a base issue with real consequences. What competent person would take any position in his administration. He only leaves wreckage in his wake.

Yeah, because White Houses are always loaded with such stellar competent people. Ken Duberstein. Harold Brown. Paul Wolfowitz. Clayton Yeutter...... Country would be lost without such marvelous patronage suck asses like these.

[Sanguine]

Trump's style IS a base issue with real consequences. What competent person would take any position in his administration. He only leaves wreckage in his wake.

I
Believe it or not, there are things much more important then Trump's style. Maybe not to you.

[Frank Cannon]

Believe it or not, there are things much more important then Trump's style.

I'll say. Endless Shrimp Monday's at Red Lobster for one......

[DB]

I
Believe it or not, there are things much more important then Trump's style. Maybe not to you.

Well yes, there are things more important. But so what. A broken leg is worse than a broken finger. They still both suck and one isn't required to avoid the other.

[kevindavis007]

Trump's style IS a base issue with real consequences. What competent person would take any position in his administration. He only leaves wreckage in his wake.

He style might be acceptable elsewhere, but for this country nope.

[kevindavis007]

Why were we there in the first place and why should we stay in Syria?

1. To help our former allies the Kurds to fight ISIS


2. Prevent our so-called ally Turkey to slaughter our former ally the Kurds.


3. To prevent Russia ( Trump's favorite country) and Iran to expand their sphere of influence.

[Right_in_Virginia]

1. To help our former allies the Kurds to fight ISIS


2. Prevent our so-called ally Turkey to slaughter our former ally the Kurds.


3. To prevent Russia ( Trump's favorite country) and Iran to expand their sphere of influence.

We're not there to help the Kurds or even prevent Russian from expanding their sphere of influence. Nor are we there to help Israel.

We are there to fight ISIS.  We did so well that the Kurds, Russian and Iran, Iraq and Turkey can carry on this fight without us.

[sneakypete]

He style might be acceptable elsewhere, but for this country nope.

@kevindavis


Ahhh,so it's all about style,is it?

Let me hear you state in your best Boy Jorge voice "That wouldn't be prudent,Prudence!"

[Sanguine]

1. To help our former allies the Kurds to fight ISIS


2. Prevent our so-called ally Turkey to slaughter our former ally the Kurds.


3. To prevent Russia ( Trump's favorite country) and Iran to expand their sphere of influence.

If that's what you believe, I can see why you think we should stay and why Mattis was correct.  But, he wasn't and we weren't.

[Emjay]

Let me ask your question a little differently.  Why did Mattis apply for and accept a position knowing it would pit him against his boss and CIC on so many issues, including:  Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, pulling out of the Iran "Deal", ending the 17 year legacy military stalemate in Afghanistan, ending our tour in Syria while setting up regional and international replacements.

Every action the President has taken was known by anyone who listened to him during his campaign.  I'm sure the President discussed this very agenda during his interview with Mattis.

Why did Mattis lie and agree with this agenda to get the job?  What the hell did Mattis think would happen @Night Hides Not ?

Good points @Right_in_Virginia   Mattis may have been vain enough to think he could change Trump's mind on those vital issues, but he over estimated his power and underestimated Trump's determination.

I think Trump was absolutely right on the things you named.  "Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, pulling out of the Iran "Deal", ending the 17 year legacy military stalemate in Afghanistan, ending our tour in Syria while setting up regional and international replacements.

[sneakypete]

Good points @Right_in_Virginia   Mattis may have been vain enough to think he could change Trump's mind on those vital issues, but he over estimated his power and underestimated Trump's determination.

@Emjay

ALL Mattis has done his whole life is be a cog in a big machine dedicated to fighting wars. First as a paper-pusher in the USMC,and after retirement as a senior paper-pusher in the upper levels of a government  stuck on stupid because that's where the money is.

I seriously doubt he even thought for an instant that Trump was serious about any of those things. Were ANY of the previous presidents in your lifetime?

Like anything looks like a nail to a 8 year old boy with a hammer,everything looks like a political and military campaign to a career paper-pusher in the upper levels of the military,and then the civilian government.

His whole career success was based on him telling everyone around them what they wanted to hear,so he would just assume everyone else was lying,too.

"Stuck on Stoopid" is a plainer way to say it.