Mattis goes after Trump: The president ‘tries to divide us’ – By Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman (Politico) / June 3 2020
The former Defense secretary blasts military leaders.
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis broke his silence on the conduct of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, blasting him and top military leaders and saying he is “angry and appalled” with the events of the past week.
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership,” Mattis said in a statement sent to reporters Wednesday evening.
This marked Mattis’ first public criticism of his former boss since the retired Marine Corps general resigned in late 2018 over Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria.
While he did not cite any other officials by name, Mattis harshly criticized Pentagon leaders, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, for their handling of the military response to race-related protests across the country.
Continue to article: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/03/mattis-trump-letter-protest-299562
