Transcript for Growing backlash after defense secretary steps down

And once again we have these major stories swirling at this same time the government shut down. But also news and a huge resignation as secretary of defense James Mattis. Announcing yesterday that he will retire at the end of February. And we have Martha Raddatz joining us from Washington on days and mark they important to point out here. First we have the major announcement about Syria that the president wants to pull out the troops and then just the very next day this word from Matt is. Also pointing out in his resignation letter that it cast to deal with disagreements about foreign policy. Clearly he made himself it's so. Clear annaly this is no coincidence that Syria was one day and his resignation. Came that next day or is don't trump call that a retirement. What general Mattis secretary mabus did was outlined in a letter the exact reasons. He is leaving that post he said my views on treating allies with respect and also being clear eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors. And he specifically. Mentions China and Russia are strongly held an informed by over four decades of Immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to an advance an international order. That is most conducive to our prosperity and values and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances. He ended that later. By saying because you have the right to have a secretary of defense his views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects I believe it is right for me to step down. From my position while an annaly I think this all started. With with the transgender troop announcement that tweet that the president did and it had nothing to do with what Mattis wanted. Then it went to the parade after that the president calling for a military parade which people in the military. Do you mean really didn't want. Is certainly the senior officers have better things to do than plan a parade and then you have space force. And matters would go into these meetings with the president he'd think they were all in sync. On these things and then appeared a tweet or something that had nothing to do with what. Secretary Matta stock they had agreed on. But but I also bent and lives back to win this first started in how good Mattis was at work king. And with president truck and how much prison trump admired him. It if you think back it was even before bombs. He was in office. Secretary Matta sat down with. Trump and they talked about torture and and trump later said you know we told me it's not such good ideas that you know a beard a cigarette or cigarette well. Will work much better than that. And and I remember a thing is time way he's going to be very successful in this and working with the president. But I do you think it's been as the years went by your president trump just got more and more confident about his own abilities and was listening. Less and less to secretary us. And mark that your report. Earning an analysis on today's story is so fascinating. But also turn troubling on some level can you talking more about why. Word of this resignation is so significant gain in comparison even to some of the others we've seen in recent weeks. I actually think this is the most consequential. Resignation we have seen from the trump administration because of who Jim mattresses. Forty years of experience forty years as a marine on battlefields and when you think of a marine he had the leadership positions. All throughout his career he had decision making. He knows these issues so well and he is look at. As a real stabilizing. Force in the Pentagon in national security our allies certainly have great. Respect for Jim Mattis and it it end Mattis himself his own sense of duty is a man who is called the warrior monk he never liked that mad dog Mattis. Moniker. It's called the warrior monk he has devoted his life. To service so for him to step away and in such a public way and voicing his opinion he is eight. Completely. Non political general so for him to do this for him to say that for him don't let the world know. Why he was leaving because he had a disagreement with the president it is. Pretty epic. Epic and very good where it's it is read this whole situation Martha OK thank you and one more question for you. Because we also now how the president announcing at possible pullout a reduction of troops in Afghanistan what do we know about that. I I think what we'll see is that. Troops will be reduced by about half it could be more you just don't know with this president we have 141000 troops there now. It in train and assist mission I think this will probably transition to more of a counterterrorism. Mission. It doesn't look like they're going do this quite as rapidly although some. Of our forces over there could start coming home in the next few weeks I think they hope to have the 7000 out by. Perhaps the the end of spring. This this is always been a controversial place and there are lots of strong arguments for getting out of Afghanistan because if you remember we have been there. Since October. 2001. In the longest war we have ever ever been involved again. So there's there's lots of vigorous debate about that but once again that is not something. Dot secretary mabus wanted to do to pull out of there and any greater numbers he wanted to make sure that al-Qaeda didn't return there certainly crisis in. Afghanistan as well and and the Taliban. Just a few stories to watch there as we hang TV holiday weekend our Martha Raddatz in Washington thank you so much for joining us.

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