Top Items:
Axios:
Pre-Christmas Trump: Rebuked, rampaging — The last member of an informal alliance of top Trump officials with enough swat or stature to stand up to President Trump — the Committee to Save America, as Jim VandeHei and I called these officials 16 months ago — resigned in epic fashion.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Reuters, New York Times, Associated Press, Althouse, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Political Wire, KTLA, Mediaite, The Week, Breitbart, Defense One and POLITICUSUSA
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Axios:
What should worry Trump most: Republican allies are turning on him — Another reason this is a historic week — and what President Trump should really worry about — is that lots of different Republicans have been turning on him over different topics. — Why it matters: A former Trump aide …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., Politico, One America News Network, Raw Story and POLITICUSUSA
Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump's Worldview — WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned Thursday in protest of President Trump's decision to withdraw American forces …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, PRI, Washington Post, Task & Purpose, Talking Points Memo, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Bloomberg, Salon, The Nation, The Atlantic, Defense News, The Times of Israel, Defense One, middleeastmonitor.com, Front Page Magazine, The Daily Beast, CNBC, WORLD, Investor's Business Daily, The Week, Axios, NPR, NY State of Politics, The Defense Post, The Guardian, CNN, USA Today, Mediaite, LewRockwell, JustOneMinute, AOL, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, FiveThirtyEight, Chicks On The Right, Raw Story, RedState, Daily Wire, HuffPost, The Last Refuge, twitchy.com, USNI News, The American Conservative, Contemptor, Wonkette, Home Page Rotator, Outside the Beltway and Althouse
Ken Meyer / Mediaite:
Brian Kilmeade Goes Off on Sarah Sanders Over Syria: Trump Just ‘Refounded ISIS’ By Leaving — Brian Kilmeade grilled Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday by saying President Trump essentially “refounded ISIS” if he pulls the U.S. military out of Syria. — The White House press secretary gave …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and Joe.My.God.
Colby Hall / Mediaite:
Maggie Haberman: ‘Disgusted’ Republicans Now Privately Admitting They Regret Supporting Trump — New York Times reporter and CNN contributor Maggie Haberman appeared on New Day Friday morning and revealed insight into the current turmoil in Washington D.C. — In light of the many issues challenging …
Discussion:
The Week
Washington Post:
‘A tailspin’: Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis — President Trump began Thursday under siege, listening to howls of indignation from conservatives over his border wall and thrusting the government toward a shutdown. He ended it by announcing the exit …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Politico, National Review, The Hill, Hit & Run, Raw Story, CNBC, Bloomberg, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, The American Spectator, Hullabaloo, KXLF-TV, NPR, CNN, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The American Conservative, Townhall, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times and The Daily Beast
Jamie Ross / The Daily Beast:
Trump Already Souring on Next Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney Over ‘Terrible Human Being’ Jibe, Says Report — Donald Trump is reportedly already turning on Mick Mulvaney—who hasn't even started his new job as acting White House chief of staff yet—due to a two-year-old video uncovered by The Daily Beast …
Discussion:
The Resurgent and POLITICUSUSA
The Daily Beast:
Fear Mounts as Mattis Quits Pentagon — Mattis bent the knee to Trump on the border stunt, Yemen war, and transgender troop ban. National security professionals worry that his Pentagon replacement will be far worse. — Sometime during the “fire and fury” summer of 2017 …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian, CNN, RedState and Hit & Run
Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
Mattis Puts Trump's Presidency in Peril — This resignation stings because it's not about policy, it's about values. — Donald Trump may not know it yet, but his presidency is collapsing. — His tweets Thursday announcing the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis by the end of February were polite and respectful.
Discussion:
Jewish Insider
Associated Press:
Analysis: As advisers leave, Trump's guardrails come off — WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, during one particularly frenetic stretch in Donald Trump's presidency, a top Republican senator said there were three men guarding the country from chaos: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis …
New York Times:
U.S. to Withdraw About 7,000 Troops From Afghanistan, Officials Say
U.S. to Withdraw About 7,000 Troops From Afghanistan, Officials Say
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, Politico, BuzzFeed News, Wonkette and Axios
Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
Jim Mattis Leaves the Kids in Charge at Trump's White House
Jim Mattis Leaves the Kids in Charge at Trump's White House
Discussion:
NBC News, EURACTIV.com and New York Times
Rachael Bade / Politico:
'I'm OK with a shutdown': Inside the chaos of the House GOP's last days
'I'm OK with a shutdown': Inside the chaos of the House GOP's last days
Discussion:
New Republic, Fox News Insider, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway and CNN
Ken Meyer / Mediaite:
Kilmeade Blasts Trump's Syria Withdrawal: We're Abandoning Kurds Who are ‘Three Weeks from Total Slaughter’
Kilmeade Blasts Trump's Syria Withdrawal: We're Abandoning Kurds Who are ‘Three Weeks from Total Slaughter’
Discussion:
Splinter
The Daily Beast:
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' Resignation Message to Trump Is Basically ‘F*** This’
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' Resignation Message to Trump Is Basically ‘F*** This’
Discussion:
ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post, Raw Story, Washington Free Beacon, Politico, Just Security and Breitbart
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
The Last Grown-Up Is Gone — James Mattis is not “retiring with distinction.”
The Last Grown-Up Is Gone — James Mattis is not “retiring with distinction.”
Discussion:
New York Times, The Atlantic and The Daily Caller
Associated Press:
Trump call with Turkish leader led to US pullout from Syria — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved …
Discussion:
Hill Reporter, The Defense Post, Joe.My.God., Political Wire, Patterico's Pontifications and NPR
RELATED:
Dan Crenshaw / Washington Post:
Why guys like me go to places like Syria — Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, is a Republican representative-elect from Texas. — President Trump's announcement to withdraw troops completely from Syria comes on the heels of a long-standing political debate over the “right” level of military involvement overseas.
Discussion:
Townhall, Washington Times and Politico
Joyce Karam / The National:
Trump decided to leave Syria after call with Erdogan, says US defence official
Erin Dunne / Washington Examiner:
In leaving Syria, the US sells out its Kurdish allies to bloodthirsty Turkey
In leaving Syria, the US sells out its Kurdish allies to bloodthirsty Turkey
Discussion:
twitchy.com, Politico and Washington Times
Nahal Toosi / Politico:
A ‘Never Trumper’ bets on Trump, and loses
A ‘Never Trumper’ bets on Trump, and loses
Discussion:
Defense One, One America News Network, Raw Story, CNN, Washington Post and New York Times
Julia Ioffe / Washington Post:
Please don't wish me ‘Merry Christmas’ — It's impolite and alienating to assume I follow your religion. — 'Twas five nights before Christmas, and my Lyft driver was the umpteenth person to wish me a “Merry Christmas” that day. He probably just meant it the way most people do …
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic:
Mattis Always Understood Trump's Severe Defects — In the spring of 2016, not long after The Atlantic published an article I had written about President Obama's foreign-policy record, I visited the Hoover Institution, a think tank on the campus of Stanford University, where James Mattis …
Discussion:
The Week and The Daily Signal
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David Frum / The Atlantic:
No More Excuses — For almost two full years, James Mattis has provided the nation with a collective security blanket—and national-security-minded Republicans with a credible excuse. Whatever outrageous or weird or even suspicious things President Donald Trump might do …
Discussion:
Vox, Fox News, New York Times, CNN, The Moderate Voice and The Root
John Podhoretz / Commentary:
What the Mattis Resignation Means
New York Times:
A Top Aide's Exit Plan Raises Eyebrows in the White House — WASHINGTON — After weeks of discussions about his future, Zachary D. Fuentes, the 36-year-old deputy White House chief of staff, had a plan. — Mr. Fuentes told colleagues that after his mentor, John F. Kelly …
NBC News:
Founder of viral fundraiser for Trump's border wall has questionable news past — Brian Kolfage told NBC News he didn't want to mention his previous projects because he “didn't want it to be a distraction.” — An internet fundraiser for Donald Trump's border wall took in more than $7 million …
Discussion:
USA Today, Shareblue Media, HuffPost, AOL, Media Matters for America, twitchy.com and Snopes.com
NBC News:
Mueller may submit report to attorney general as soon as mid-February, say sources — “They clearly are tying up loose ends,” said a lawyer who has been in contact with the Mueller team. — WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller is nearing the end of his historic investigation …
Discussion:
Law & Crime and The Week
RELATED:
Natasha Bertrand / The Atlantic:
The Special Counsel Is Bearing Down on Roger Stone
The Special Counsel Is Bearing Down on Roger Stone
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Washington Post and Politico
Jonathan Andrews / ODNI Newsroom:
DNI Coats Statement on the Resignation of Secretary Mattis — I was deeply saddened to learn the news that General Mattis will resign from his post as Secretary of Defense at the end of February. — DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE — WASHINGTON, DC 20511 — December 21, 2018
Discussion:
Politico
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David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Mattis' Message to the World: Trump Is Out of Control
Mattis' Message to the World: Trump Is Out of Control
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Free Beacon and Patterico's Pontifications
Robert Morrison / The Guardian:
The death of our Siemens factory is the result of another Trump lie — Trump has the power to tell companies such as Siemens to keep plants open. All he would have to do is sign an executive order — This week, days before Christmas, I will clock into my good, union job one last time.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
As stocks drop, Trump fears he's losing his best argument for re-election — President Trump has kept an almost obsessive watch on the stock market as it has lurched lower in recent weeks. — He has complained to aides how unfair it is that he is blamed for the market's slide …
Discussion:
Political Wire
RELATED:
Alex Marshall / New York Times:
Barack Obama Joins Lin-Manuel Miranda on a ‘Hamilton’ Remix — In the early hours of Friday morning, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” released “One Last Time (44 Remix),” a gospel reworking of a song from the hit musical. Halfway through, Barack Obama — the 44 in question …
Discussion:
IJR
John Wagner / Washington Post:
Trump threatens government shutdown ‘will last for a very long time’ if Democrats oppose House bill that includes border wall money — President Trump on Friday threatened that a partial government shutdown would last “for a very long time” if Congress does not meet his demand Friday …
Discussion:
Townhall, Balloon Juice, Contemptor, Washington Free Beacon, Daily Wire, Washington Times, Axios, Political Wire and RAPPLER
Tyler Pager / New York Times:
After Big Losses, a N.Y. House Republican Clashes With Her Party — She arrived in Washington as a rising star, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and she quickly won leadership positions and garnered effusive praise from her party leaders. — Now, not even four years later …