Trump Unleashes Christmas Fury On Mattis And McGurk For Resigning In Protest

Two top military officials who recently resigned in protest faced the full brunt of President Trump’s Christmas fury on Monday, as the rest of the nation settled in to observe the holidays.

In a string of morning tweets, Trump derided his outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Pentagon’s top ISIS envoy Brett McGurk over their publicrebukes of his nationalistic foreign policy agenda and controversial military pullout in Syria.

“We are substantially subsidizing the Militaries of many VERY rich countries all over the world, while at the same time these countries take total advantage of the U.S.,” Trump posted. “General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!”

….We are substantially subsidizing the Militaries of many VERY rich countries all over the world, while at the same time these countries take total advantage of the U.S., and our TAXPAYERS, on Trade. General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

In a resignation letter last week, Mattis told Trump he was stepping down because he disagrees with the President’s aggressive “America First” agenda and believes in treating U.S. allies with “respect.”

The three-war veteran also informed the President he planned to stay at his post until February to allow for a smooth transition.

But, after first praising Mattis in light of his exit, Trump switched gears over the weekend and announced he was installing Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to replace the seasoned military official on an acting basis starting Jan. 1.

The President followed up the blistering Christmas Eve message about Mattis with a post attacking McGurk, who abruptly stepped down Saturday after telling colleagues he couldn’t support Trump’s decision to withdraw all remaining U.S. troops from Syria.

“For all of the sympathizers out there of Brett McGurk remember, he was the Obama appointee who was responsible for loading up airplanes with 1.8 Billion Dollars in CASH & sending it to Iran as part of the horrific Iran Nuclear Deal,” Trump tweeted, referring to the Obama-era international agreement he has since rescinded.

For all of the sympathizers out there of Brett McGurk remember, he was the Obama appointee who was responsible for loading up airplanes with 1.8 Billion Dollars in CASH & sending it to Iran as part of the horrific Iran Nuclear Deal (now terminated) approved by Little Bob Corker.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

Trump’s latest McGurk outburst contrasts his initial comment claiming he does “not know” the career military official who used to be in charge of the administration’s war on ISIS.

Military experts and members of both parties balked at Trump’s Syria pullout, noting that extremists affiliated with ISIS still remain in the war-torn country’s eastern regions.

Critics also say the withdrawal plays right into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin and risks ceding power to the Kremlin, Syria’s Russia-backed leader Bashar al-Assad or Iran.

But Trump maintains ISIS has been defeated and says whatever is left of the terror group can be eradicated by Turkey.

“President Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria,” Trump tweeted Monday, “and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right ‘next door.’ Our troops are coming home!”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), typically one of Trump’s most loyal congressional allies, disagreed.

“Relying on Turkey to destroy ISIS for the United States is a big mistake,” Graham tweeted. “If we completely withdraw from Syria: Turkey and Kurds will start a new war. Most pressure taken off ISIS. Iran becomes biggest winner.”

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©2018 New York Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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