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

[Emjay]

@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.

PLus, generals are accustomed to everyone saying, "Yes, Sir" to any fool thing they say.

[Emjay]

@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.

Yep, that would have been better way to handle it, but that's not Trump's way.  Trump can find plenty of people for Cabinet positions ... they would line up.  They simply have to understand that they cannot serve a President they openly disagree with.  That's hardly too much to ask.

[sneakypete]

PLus, generals are accustomed to everyone saying, "Yes, Sir" to any fool thing they say.

@Emjay

It's actually the law. They can put you in a military prison and take fines out of your paycheck if you refuse. It is NOT a system that promotes creativity.

There were/maybe are exceptions,but a good rule of thumb to follow is not to expect original thinking from anyone wearing more than 1 star. More stars than that and all you are going to hear is company or political policy.

[sneakypete]

Yep, that would have been better way to handle it, but that's not Trump's way.  Trump can find plenty of people for Cabinet positions ... they would line up.  They simply have to understand that they cannot serve a President they openly disagree with.  That's hardly too much to ask.

@Emjay

It's pretty much the rules the rest of us live by. Anyone that doesn't believe this can prove it to themselves by simply going to work and saying "No" to everything their boss says.

[txradioguy]

Wash rinse repeat.  This is what Trump does to "only the best people" that he decides he doesn't need anymore.

[Emjay]

Wash rinse repeat.  This is what Trump does to "only the best people" that he decides he doesn't need anymore.

It's not pretty but it's pretty much how he has to deal with people supposedly working for him who don't support his agendas and policies.

It could absolutely be done more quietly and cordially but, hey, we're talking about Trump.

And Mattis did go public himself with his disagreements.

[DB]

So he doesn't need experienced knowledgeable people, he just needs 'yes' men and women to 'get things done'... That's the ticket...

The elephant in the room must be ignored at all costs...

[Frank Cannon]

So he doesn't need experienced knowledgeable people, he just needs 'yes' men and women to 'get things done'... That's the ticket...

The elephant in the room must be ignored at all costs...

I agree. We are all lucky to have a strong leader running the country during these perilous times. Obviously God intervened when Trump took the Presidency.

[DB]

I agree. We are all lucky to have a strong leader running the country during these perilous times. Obviously God intervened when Trump took the Presidency.

You're on a roll...

[txradioguy]

It's not pretty but it's pretty much how he has to deal with people supposedly working for him who don't support his agendas and policies.

They Trump should modifiy his philosophy about who he hires and say he hires "only the best yes men".

It could absolutely be done more quietly and cordially but, hey, we're talking about Trump.

No excuse for a classless move like this who's done far more for the country than Trump ever will.

And Mattis did go public himself with his disagreements.

Outside of the mild comments in his resignation letter he didn't that I can recall.

[Victoria33]

Wash rinse repeat.  This is what Trump does to "only the best people" that he decides he doesn't need anymore.

@txradioguy

He fires people to prove to himself he is better than anyone; it is a mental thing with him.  He won't stop doing it.

[txradioguy]

@txradioguy

He fires people to prove to himself he is better than anyone; it is a mental thing with him.  He won't stop doing it.

Yup you're right.

[sneakypete]

@txradioguy

He fires people to prove to himself he is better than anyone; it is a mental thing with him.  He won't stop doing it.

@Victoria33

You mean,as opposed to you,who would keep employees around and on the payroll that refuse to follow your orders and stab you in the back in public?

[goodwithagun]

@txradioguy

He fires people to prove to himself he is better than anyone; it is a mental thing with him.  He won't stop doing it.

It’s the fact that he has to publicly bash them after he fires them.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Remember Trump bragging at one of his rallies: "WE JUST HIRED MAG DOG MATTIS"?

[edpc]

“Although today’s decision is not a final determination on the merits, we must recognize that the Mattis Plan plausibly relies upon the ‘considered professional judgment’ of ‘appropriate military officials’ ... and appears to permit some transgender individuals to serve in the military consistent with established military mental health, physical health, and sex-based standards,” wrote a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/423862-appeals-court-sides-with-trump-on-transgender-military-ban


You know Trump has to be frosted it was referred to as the ‘Mattis Plan.’

[Emjay]

So he doesn't need experienced knowledgeable people, he just needs 'yes' men and women to 'get things done'... That's the ticket...

The elephant in the room must be ignored at all costs...

That is not correct.  It's not a matter of being a 'yes' man (sexist?) but of agreeing with Trump's basic goals and tenets.  If Mattis openly criticizes Trump's action in Syria, then he's not on the team.

[Emjay]

Remember Trump bragging at one of his rallies: "WE JUST HIRED MAG DOG MATTIS"?

Did Trump say Mag Dog?  Thought it was Mad Dog.  Mattis proved to be a traitor to Trump's basic international policies and openly voiced his thoughts.

[Night Hides Not]

Did Trump say Mag Dog?  Thought it was Mad Dog.  Mattis proved to be a traitor to Trump's basic international policies and openly voiced his thoughts.

Mattis a "traitor", for voicing a different opinion on policy? So he does the honorable thing and resigns his position.

[txradioguy]

Mattis a "traitor", for voicing a different opinion on policy? So he does the honorable thing and resigns his position.

@Night Hides Not

To the blind followers anyone...no matter how honorable...is a "traitor" if they don't say yes to everything Trump says and does.

[DB]

@Night Hides Not

To the blind followers anyone...no matter how honorable...is a "traitor" if they don't say yes to everything Trump says and does.

And using the phrase "yes men" is now sexist...

It will be interesting just how far the faithful will go in their denial of the obvious. It is going to be a rough two years for them.

[Emjay]

@Night Hides Not

To the blind followers anyone...no matter how honorable...is a "traitor" if they don't say yes to everything Trump says and does.

Blind followers?  That's a pretty odd way of characterizing Trump supporters and it's cruel.  I don't call you blind non-follower,  maybe NTer.

It's not a matter of saying yes to everything.  It's a matter of openly disagreeing with a major policy move of the President.

I didn't keep my job at the labor union for 16 years by saying I didn't believe in labor unions.

[txradioguy]

Blind followers?  That's a pretty odd way of characterizing Trump supporters and it's cruel.  I don't call you blind non-follower,  maybe NTer.

Well since I didn't mention nor ping you by name not sure why you felt obligated to answer.

There ARE blind followers who will praise everything he does...and trash people they once praised just because Trump is doing it.

That's the case with General Mattis.

It's not a matter of saying yes to everything.  It's a matter of openly disagreeing with a major policy move of the President.

A policy move that went against the advice of everyone in his cabinet and at the Pentagon with military experience.  He thinks he's a better General than all the Generals.

I didn't keep my job at the labor union for 16 years by saying I didn't believe in labor unions.

If you don't believe in them worked in a union shop and said nothing then you're telling us you're willing to sacrifice principals when it's expedient for you to do so.

[Night Hides Not]

And using the phrase "yes men" is now sexist...

It will be interesting just how far the faithful will go in their denial of the obvious. It is going to be a rough two years for them.

It's going to be a tough two years for all of us.

[edpc]

Trump can find plenty of people for Cabinet positions ... they would line up.

I guess that’s why he had more than a few people turn down the CoS job and why five people around him are currently in ‘acting’ positions.