‘Thousands’ More Troops To US Border, But Colombia Deployment Unclear: Shanahan
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Shanahan spent much of his first formal (albeit off-camera) Pentagon pressroom briefing as SecDef emphasizing continuity with his ousted predecessor, Gen. Jim Mattis. He made a point of praising Mattis’s National Defense Strategy, America’s allies, and even the press – not exactly favorites of President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump: Breaking With The Past (The Beltway Ain’t Happy)
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President Trump is breaking with the past. He’s arguing that Washington must cut its losses, withdraw its forces, climb out of the Middle Eastern and Afghan money pits, and acknowledge that Seoul (with U.S. backing) won the war on the Korean Peninsula. Washington hates him for doing these things, but most Americans and future generations of Americans will love him for it.
Top HASC Republican Rejects Using Defense Funds For Border Wall
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“I am opposed to using defense dollars for non-defense purposes,” Rep. Mac Thornberry said. “Seems to me we ought to fund border security needs on their own and not be taking it from other accounts.”
Acting SecDef Shanahan’s First Message: “China, China, China.”
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PENTAGON: In his first day on the job, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan gathered civilian leaders of the military services to deliver a simple message: “China, China, China.”
2019 Forecast: Budget Battles & Confirmation Wars
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Trump’s pick to replace Sec. Jim Mattis will be a key indicator about where the president wants to drive the department — and the confirmation process will show what the Senate will accept — while the defense budget may be collateral damage from a bitterly divided Congress.
‘Hold Fast, Alongside Our Allies’: Mattis Farewell Invokes Civil War
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Mattis’s last message to the troops is three brief, carefully crafted paragraphs packed with historical references and political messages — which are implicitly critical of President Trump.
Budget Busters: What to Look For in 2019 and Beyond
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The release of the 2020 defense budget is still over a month away, and it’s already been a wild ride. A look at what has happened, and what might happen next.
After Mattis: Strategic Challenge & Opportunity For President Trump
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Whatever you think of Jim Mattis, his resignation and the outflow of officials that will follow create a major foreign policy problem for the United States. There is not one ally who is applauding Mattis’s departure — but depart he will, all the same. So what must President Trump and his next defense secretary do,… Keep reading →
Trump Tries to Take Control of Mattis Narrative
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The relationship went through a messy ending. Will the president now try and give Mattis the Rex Tillerson treatment?
The Secretary Of Reassurance Has Resigned: Farewell To Mattis
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WASHINGTON: After two years of reassuring US allies that Donald Trump’s America would not abandon them, Jim Mattis finally had enough. Even before Trump was sworn in as president, the announcement that he would pick Mattis as his Secretary of Defense was met with delighted relief “from the right, from the left, and from overseas.”… Keep reading →