WASHINGTON—In his letter to President Trump, Secretary of Defense James Mattis gave the end of February as the effective date of his resignation, to ensure a ‘smooth transition’.
It appears the President doesn’t think that’s necessary.
On Twitter Sunday morning, Trump said he would make Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will assume the title of “Acting Secretary of Defense” starting January 1, 2019.
This is a breaking story, we’ll have more details as the become available.