Mattis resignation shows the Trump presidency is collapsing

Throughout Donald Trump’s chaotic tenure, one of the few glimmers of reassurance has been the presence at the Department of Defense of Jim Mattis. With the US Marine Corps general in position as Defense Secretary there was a chance that Trump’s wilder impulses could at least be moderated a little by a grown up.

Mattis has now resigned.

His resignation letter overnight is a devastating indictment of Trump’s policies and his treatment of America’s allies. There are none of the standard, hypocritical niceties usually employed in resignation letters. Trump is a menace is the general tenor.

The Trump decision to abandon allies and withdraw all personnel from Syria – a move announced on Twitter – combined with the White House signalling complete disengagement from Afghanistan seems to have tipped the Defence Secretary into quitting. He will leave in February, or that is the plan for now.

Mattis deserves praise for choosing to serve in such difficult circumstances, to protect the American Republic and the wider interests of the troubled Western alliance that Trump is intent on dismantling like a spoilt child who takes apart a complex watch mechanism and then gets annoyed when the watch no longer works.

But like many other grown ups who joined an unorthodox administration, Mattis seems to have overestimated the extent to which he could influence Trump. Poor judgment on non-military personalities has let down Mattis before. In 2013 he joined the board of Theranos, the Silicon Valley biotech firm that turned out to be a giant fraud. Other figures from the foreign policy establishment in the US were duped too.

Nonetheless, the Mattis record of military service is outstanding, taking in both Gulf wars and Afghanistan. Throughout he has shown exemplary courage and leadership, developing a reputation as the intellectual general immersed in his spare moments in books. When such a person – an intelligent American patriot serving in key position – is so appalled by a President that they feel compelled to resign, America and the rest of us in the West are in serious danger.

The resignation letter is worth reading in full, and it may turn out to be one of the most significant documents of this tumultuous period.

Why? The Trump presidency was already in a state of worsening chaos with his associates going to jail.

This latest development is of a different order, because it is about oversight of the military, and already Republican leaders in the Senate have indicated their extreme displeasure. Their comments reported in the American press overnight border on despair. These are the leaders Trump needs to see off any impeachment attempt once the new Congress is in place. The Republicans have a majority in the Senate, and of course the default position is that a Republican Senate will ultimately always protect a Republican president. When the defence of America is in doubt, because an out of control, angry, impulsive President who has shown he is incapable of learning or doing his job, they may not save him after all.

Here is the Mattis letter:

Dear Mr President,

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department’s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defense occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability within the Department.

I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 DoD civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfill their critical, round-the-clock mission to protect the American people.

I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.

Jim N. Mattis.