Defense Secretary James Mattis to step down in February
President Trump announced Thursday that Defense Secretary James Mattis will step down at the end of February. Mattis' retirement follows rumored tensions with the president, and the administration's controversial announcement of plans to withdraw troops from Syria, The New York Times reports.
In his resignation letter to the president, Mattis wrote that Trump has "a right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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