Many people both civilian and military have been waiting for Trump to attack former SecDef James Mattis the retired Marine 4-star who had been chief of U.S. Central Command and chief of Nato Development Command, among his many command positions. Trump now has done it, calling Mattis "the world's most overrated general."
Trump did not initiate his mention of Mattis however, as he responded to Schumer reading a statement by Mattis on a Sunday program. Trump was more defensive at the mention of Mattis than offensive although offensive is what Trump was. Mattis is of course the natural moral and authoritative general of stature and respect across the armed forces. A true leader.
Trump Rages at Pelosi, Mattis, and Communists During ‘Meltdown’ in White House Meeting
The president even took a shot at his former defense secretary—who quit late last year over policy disagreements—when the conversation on Wednesday afternoon touched on foreign policy and a potential rejuvenation of ISIS fighters in Syria.
Schumer at one point pulled out a piece of paper featuring quotes from Mattis’ interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. The Democratic leader began reading to the president the statement that Mattis made on that Sunday show, that “if we don't keep the pressure on, then ISIS will resurge. It's absolutely a given that they will come back.”
Trump, this source said, then interrupted Schumer, and insisted that Mattis was “the world’s most overrated general.”
“You know why?” the president continued, according to the source. “He wasn’t tough enough. I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take two years. I captured them in one month.” Trump also repeatedly claimed that of the ISIS prisoners who escaped when Turkish forces invaded northeast Syria, only the “least dangerous” individuals got out.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, asked to confirm the president’s assertion that those ISIS prisoners who escaped were the “least dangerous,” told Schumer he didn’t know, according to the source.
Trump Rages at Pelosi, Mattis, and Communists During ‘Meltdown’ in White House Meeting
Gen. Mark Milley became chairman of JCS on September 1st after 5 years as Army chief of staff and former chief of Army Forces Command that does unit deployments. Adm. James Staverdis (Ret.) who is a close friend of Milley and Mattis and a former Nato supreme commander said no CJCS has been in a tougher spot. (Milley has the new Army standard wear uniform based on the WW II model.)