Mattis Breaks Silence
The Primary: In a Wall Street Journal excerpt from his new book, former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis discusses foreign policy and Trump’s leadership in his first public commentary since leaving the position in February.
Who? What? Why?: In the excerpt, Mattis discussed how a leader who engages in controversial debate is not properly commanding their country and an isolationist foreign policy is dangerous to U.S. interests. Alluding to Trump, Mattis states "A leader must display strategic acumen that incorporates respect for those nations that have stood with us when trouble loomed."
The Baseline: Mattis’ new book, “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead,” is set to release soon but Mattis promises the book is not about the current president. Rather, he says, the book will look into the military vet's 20-year career before he was secretary of defense and urge future American leaders to “return to strategic footing” in international relationships.