Day 703: Trump didn’t bother reading Mattis resignation letter

James Mattis resigned his Secretary of Defense gig in a devastating way, entirely rebuking Donald Trump’s view on the world. Trump clearly didn’t read the letter, because he offered effusive praise of Mattis while he was lambasted. However, after the letter got a ton of publicity, Trump is forcing Mattis’ ouster two months earlier than expected.

But Mr. Trump had not read the letter. As became apparent to the president only after days of news coverage, a senior administration official said, Mr. Mattis had issued a stinging rebuke of Mr. Trump over his neglect of allies and tolerance of authoritarians. The president grew increasingly angry as he watched a parade of defense analysts go on television to extol Mr. Mattis’s bravery, another aide said, until he decided on Sunday that he had had enough.

The president has grown increasingly angry as commentators have described Mr. Mattis in near heroic terms for standing up to Mr. Trump and making his resignation count as no one else in the president’s circle has done, an aide said.

In essence, Trump decided to fire Mattis, despite Mattis already quitting, because Trump failed to read a two-page letter.

This followed Trump’s public admission that he had no idea who the U.S.’s special envoy to the international coalition fighting ISIS is.

Trump appears to be paying less attention than ever.

703 days in, 759 to go

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