Tag Archives: James Mattis

James Mattis Burned Trump In His Resignation Letter

CNN reports: “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 …

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BREAKING: Defense Secretary James Mattis To “Retire”

As the Syria withdrawal decision continues to draw furor from conservatives, Trump just announced that Defense Sec. James Mattis will “retire” at the end of February. Update to follow shortly…. UPDATE via NPR: Defense Secretary James Mattis, a living Marine Corps legend who made history by securing special permission from Congress to lead the Pentagon, is stepping down after a …

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Homeland Security Formally Requests Troops At Border

Reuters reports: The U.S. military has received a request from the Department of Homeland Security for active-duty troops on the U.S.-Mexico border, a U.S. official said on Thursday, after President Donald Trump said he was “bringing out the military” to guard against a caravan of Central American migrants trekking through Mexico. The U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of …

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REPORT: Former US Sailor Linked To Ricin-Laced Mail

The Military Times reports: Mailed packages suspected to contain the poison ricin that were sent to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson may be linked to a former Navy sailor, Fox News reported Wednesday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The report cited U.S. officials saying a return address was the potential link to the former …

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Pentagon: Ricin-Laced Mail Sent To Mattis And Admiral

CNN reports: Two pieces of mail delivered to the Pentagon mail facility on Monday have initially tested positive for ricin, according to a US defense official. The two suspicious envelopes were addressed to Secretary of Defense James Mattis and to Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, the official told CNN. The mail facility is in a separate building on …

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REPORT: Def Sec. Mattis May Be Out After Midterms

The New York Times reports: Back when their relationship was fresh and new, and President Trump still called his defense secretary “Mad Dog” — a nickname Jim Mattis detests — the wiry retired Marine general often took a dinner break to eat burgers with his boss in the White House residence. But the burger dinners have stopped. In the second …

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Pentagon Spox Probed For Retaliating Against Staffers Who Complained About Running Her Personal Errands

CNN reports: One of Defense Secretary James Mattis’ most senior civilian advisers is being investigated by the Defense Department Office of Inspector General for allegedly retaliating against staff members after she used some of them to conduct her personal errands and business matters, according to four sources familiar with the probe. Dana White, the Trump administration political appointee who serves …

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Sec. James Mattis “Absolutely” Supports A Space Force: We Need To Address Space As A War Fighting Domain

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis said Tuesday that he “absolutely” supports the creation of a new space branch for the military, but declined to say whether it would be the separate Space Force President Trump has pressed for. Mattis said he supports establishing a new combatant command for space and that the Pentagon is “in complete alignment with …

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Mattis Denies Report US Is Readying Strike On Iran

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis on Friday disputed a report that the U.S. is preparing a strike against Iran, calling it “fiction.” ABC News had previously reported, citing Australian officials, that the U.S. could launch missile strikes against Iran as soon as next month. “I have no idea where the Australian news people got that information,” Mattis told …

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Pentagon Ignores Pride Month For First Time Since Obama Signed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal In 2010

The Washington Post reports: Senior leaders at the Pentagon are distancing themselves from the Defense Department’s annual LGBT Pride Month celebrations, declining to formally acknowledge the observances for the first time since the practice became routine after President Barack Obama repealed the military’s ban on homosexuals serving openly. The absence this year of an official Pentagon memo marking LGBT Pride …

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Mattis Won’t Rule Out US Airstrikes On Syria

CNN reports: The US has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in response to the weekend’s suspected chemical gas attack on civilians, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday. “I don’t rule out anything right now,” Mattis said while hosting Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, at the Pentagon. “The first thing we …

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AMA To Defense Secretary Mattis: There’s No “Medically Valid Reason” To Ban Trans Citizens From Military

Politico reports: There is “no medically valid reason” to exclude transgender people from serving in the military, the nation’s largest medical organization told Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday in a letter. The American Medical Association said the Pentagon’s recent evaluation of the requirements to accommodate transgender personnel “mischaracterized and rejected the wide body of peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness …

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Trump Orders Pentagon To Schedule Military Parade For Veterans Day, Parade Route To Begin At White House

Politico reports: President Donald Trump’s plans for a White House-backed military parade are beginning to take shape. The president has directed the Department of Defense to organize a parade that would take place on Nov. 11 – Veterans Day – according to an unclassified Feb. 20 memo written by National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. The memo, which was summarized to …

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Mattis Likely To Support Transgender Military Service

The Washington Post reports: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to propose to President Trump that transgender members of the U.S. military be allowed to continue serving despite the president’s call last summer for a ban on all transgender service members, according to two U.S. officials with knowledge of the issue. The defense secretary was scheduled to brief the president …

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Mattis Dodges On Cost Of Trump’s Military Parade

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday dodged a question about why the Pentagon should spend time and money planning a military parade requested by President Trump when the military has been complaining about budget woes. “I think what my responsibility is to make certain I lay out the strategy and make the argument for the oversight of …

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Mattis Seeks To Ban Cellphones From Pentagon

Fallout from the Fitbit story: Secretary of Defense James Mattis is actively considering banning US military and civilian personnel from bringing their personal cell phones into the Pentagon, the world’s largest office building, according to three US defense officials familiar with an ongoing review of the issue. The officials told CNN that while the issue is under review and a …

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Pentagon: Today’s North Korean Missile Launch Could Have Reached Anywhere In The World [VIDEO]

CNN International reports: North Korea fired what the US military believes to be an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday as the Pentagon confirmed that it detected and tracked a single North Korean projectile at 1:17 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. “The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1,000 kilometers before splashing down in the Sea of …

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Pentagon Promises Probe Into Niger Ambush As McCain Threatens Subpoena Over Administration Inaction

Politico reports: In the face of growing scrutiny, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said the type of attack that killed four U.S. troops in Niger earlier this month was “considered unlikely” and pledged to release the findings of a Pentagon investigation “as rapidly” as possible. “I would just tell you that in this specific case contact was considered unlikely,” …

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Pentagon: Transgender Troops Can Re-Enlist (For Now)

The Associated Press reports: New guidance released Friday by the Pentagon makes it clear that any transgender troops currently in the military can re-enlist in the next several months, even as the department debates how broadly to enforce a ban on their service ordered by President Donald Trump. In a memo to top military leaders, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said …

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Mattis Reacts To North Korea’s Nuclear Bomb Test With Warning Of “Massive Military Response” [VIDEO]

The Daily Beast reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis threatened military action against North Korea on Sunday, hours after the regime claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb that can be attached to an intercontinental ballistic missile. “Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response—a response both …

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