Posted on 01/01/2019 6:31:24 AM PST by yesthatjallen
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan started his first day on the job Tuesday with a welcome memo that asserted the Pentagon “remains focused on safeguarding our nation” under the direction of President Trump.
“As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,” Shanahan wrote.
“The Department of Defense continues to be one of our nation’s bedrock institutions. Our foundational strength lies in the remarkable men and women who volunteer to serve our country and protect our freedoms, while making immense personal sacrifice. It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team committed to the greatness of our nation.”
The New Year’s Day message also included kind words for his predecessor, former Defense Secretary James Mattis.
“We have deep respect for Secretary Mattis’ lifetime of service, and it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary,” Shanahan said.
Mattis resigned on Dec. 20, shortly after Trump unexpectedly announced that the United States would withdraw its forces from Syria.
The former Marine Corps general’s resignation letter cited policy disagreements with the president, who has since doubled down on his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria. The choice has been widely criticized, including by Republicans in Washington.
Mattis initially planned to resign at the end of February to allow Trump time to find a replacement. Trump, however, announced that Mattis would leave months earlier, on Jan. 1.
Trump named then-Deputy Defense Secretary Shanahan - a former Boeing executive with little government experience – as the acting Pentagon chief for the start of 2019.
Mattis wrote in his farewell memo on Monday that the Pentagon’s civilian and military leadership remains “in the best possible hands.”
Getting awfully tired of people joining the administration who don't share President Trumps' vision and who do nothing but fight him at every turn; and then leave and run to the Democratic Media Complex to tell them what a horrible experience it was working with President Trump.
Keep an eye on Brazil. Their new president takes office this month and he is a Latino Trump. He’s going to move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, sell off government functions to the private sector, open protected indigenous regions to development and slash the budget. Or so he has promised.
Mattis acts like an immature E3 on the way out the door and sh*ts on his entire career.
What a putz. Maybe he is thinking politically for something later...
refreshing to hear someone finally wants to carry out the Presidents vision
And if you don’t share the Presidents’ vision why the hell take the job?
There are several others who serve with distinction and without bashing. DeVos, Carson, Perry are among them. What do these folks have in common? They are not deep state swamp creatures.
Like, maybe an Elizabeth Warren Sec Def?
When are we going to do that with the $3+ trillion (80%+) unconstitutional portion of the federal government?
What a day of rejoicing that would be for Americans. Freedom and Prosperity falling from the sky like Heavenly Blessings. A booming economy the likes of which we have never seen. Ripple effect of more prosperous economies around the world.
When are we going to do that with the $3+ trillion (80%+) unconstitutional portion of the federal government?
What a day of rejoicing that would be for Americans. Freedom and Prosperity falling from the sky like Heavenly Blessings. A booming economy the likes of which we have never seen. Ripple effect of more prosperous economies around the world.
“...Getting awfully tired of people joining the administration who don’t share President Trumps’ vision and who do nothing but fight him at every turn; and then leave and run to the Democratic Media Complex to tell them what a horrible experience it was working with President Trump. ...”
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Yeh!
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GyG@PlanetWTF?
SEMPER TRUMP.45!
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Now,he can appear daily/weekly on ABCNNBCBS to trash President Trump and get paid for trashing and lying about his former boss, President Trump.
Mattis opposed Trump on every or almost every issue.
It seems to me that high ranking military shouldn’t profess opinions on anything other than breaking things and killing people. Other issues are unlikely to affect that.
“I look forward to carrying out Trump’s vision”
Well that would be nice... For a change. Two questions: Troops on the borders, trannys.
I agree. Important point, Brazil could be a powerhouse with the right government. Also, Trump is getting along better with the Mexican government, including the incoming leftists, than anybody has to date. That’s because he’s firm but pragmatic and they respect him.
President Jair Bolsonaro is also going to reform Brazil's insanely restrictive gun laws.
He calls for Brazilians to be able to own guns for self defense. He comes very close to calling it a right.
My question re Mattis is what did he bring to the table that was worth POTUS putting up with Mattis obstruction & push back on: Paris Accord, Climate change, transexuals openly serving, pulling back from Iraq?
POTUS has selected several of cabinet members who were not aligned with his overall policy positions: Tillerson, Gary Cohn, Shulkin, McMasters, because they had unique expertise that would be useful for one phase of his agenda.
Shulkin had the knowledge and relationships to start the reformation of the VA Healthcare System. Once he had accomplished the initiation and became a hindrance he was replaced.
Cohn was needed through passage of tax reform and then his adherence to Globalist positions and attempts to undercut the President’s agenda ended his tenure.
Tillerson had the expertise & relationships (from his tenure @ Exxon) to allow POTUS entry and credibility into the Saudi/Arab countries. Once POTUS had forged his own relationships and sold the Arab world on a vision of the future build on mutual goals & cooperation Tillerson’s peevishness, backstabbing and refusal to promote POTUS agenda rather than his own lead to his dismissal. Tillerson was another globalist destroying the Boy Scouts with political correctness, Paris Accord/Climate Change promoter, pusher of deference to the UN and any other body outside America.
McMaster was a Muslim apologist and a snake in several other Globalist ways. In his lectures he twisted himself into knots claiming that it was wrong to equate terrorism with Islam because you needed Islam to be a partner in terrorism. So you could never suggest that these people were actually Muslim or you would alienate the remainder of the Muslim world. He in common with other jettisoned cabinet members believed in the supremacy of corrupt bodies such as the UN & NATO.
POTUS needed people like that to gain insight into the power players at those bodies as well as the webs of power, influence & cash transfer. Then he laid out his demands on NATO, pay your share and stop treating US like the cash cow that you beat regularly. Phase accomplished no further upside to keeping these men around.
Mattis seems to have been an excellent general and he knew what was needed to annihilate Isis. With that mission well underway perhaps his useful phase was over and to really refocus America’s mission a new man was needed.
Had we used the 51 majority vote in the senate these past two years, wed have much accomplished.
Obama treated him and that general in afghanistan (McNichols?) like dog poop, and they both come out trashing Trump....
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