President Trump said Thursday evening that Defense Secretary James Mattis will be retiring in February, in a shock announcement adding to the list of the president's outgoing Cabinet members after his second year in office. "General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. Mattis wrote that he has "been privileged to serve" in his role as defense secretary and acknowledged the department's record during his time there. Word of Mattis' resignation comes a day after U.S. officials confirmed that Trump's administration is making plans to pull all 2,000 American troops out of Syria. He has been in the fight against radical Islam for decades and provided sound and ethical military advice to President Trump," Graham continued.

Source: Fox News December 20, 2018 22:28 UTC