Byron York: Mattis’ Resignation Is the ‘Culmination’ of a ‘Lot of Friction’ Between Him and Trump

EXCERPT:

YORK: "Well, this resignation appears to be a culmination of a lot of friction between Mattis and the President. Culminating, being capped off by the President’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces, 2,000 of them, from Syria and also asked the Defense Department to come up with a plan to begin drawing down troops in Afghanistan. The most important part of Mattis’s letter is when he talks about treating allies with respect and when he also talks about being clear-eyed about malign actors in the world. Clearly the President’s conflicts with NATO, with other parts of the world in which the President has basically said why are we, the United States, paying for the world’s defense? This is something that does not set well with Mattis and many others in the defense establishment. And it finally came to a head over Syria."