TEHRAN, June 25 - US President Donald Trump has turned on Secretary of Defense James Mattis and is now increasingly taking military matters into his own hands, according to a report.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -Mattis, for example, was kept in the dark as Trump made the decision to withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May, NBC News reported on Monday. The Pentagon chief learned of the decision from a colleague and tried to get the president on the phone before a formal announcement was made.
Trump also did not discuss with Mattis his decision to halt US military exercises with South Korea, which was announced following the landmark summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this month, the network said.
Last week, Trump again blindsided his defense secretary by publicly directing the Pentagon to establish a sixth military branch overseeing operations in space.
"They don't really see eye to eye," said a former senior White House official.
The way these recent policy decisions have played out underscores a significant change in Mattis's role in the administration, with Trump relying less on the advice of one of the longest-serving members of his cabinet, officials said.
It also represents a significant departure from Trump's early enthusiasm for the retired four-star Marine general he proudly called "Mad Dog."
While Trump and Mattis have had disagreements over some issues from the beginning, the president still kept his defense secretary in the loop on major policy decisions.
In recent months, however, Trump has soured on Mattis, in part because he believes the Pentagon chief looks down on him and slow-walks his directives, officials said.
The dynamic was exacerbated with Trump's decision to appoint hawkish John Bolton as national security adviser, which Mattis opposed, as well as Mike Pompeo's confirmation as secretary of state.
Source: Press TV
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