Trump Ignored Defense Secretary on Syria

“President Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw troops from Syria is a clear rebuke to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the last remaining member of a retinue of military men Trump once fondly called ‘my generals,'” the Washington Post reports.

“Mattis had argued that the counterterrorism mission in Syria is not over and that the small U.S. presence in Syria should remain… The Pentagon chief also had tried to explain to Trump that there would be more chaos in the region and future problems for the United States if the troops leave.”

A senior administration official told CNN that Trump’s decision to withdraw troops is “a mistake of colossal proportions and the President fails to see how it will endanger our country.”