But his resignation letter spelled out to the world what seemed obvious to many observers: Trump's world view was irreconcilable with his own. And until the end, Mattis avoided the contempt Trump had publicly heaped on other of his top officials. Trump originally latched on to Mattis for his commitment to building up the US military after years of tight budgets, and for his nickname: "Mad Dog." Mattis commanded a Marine battalion during the First Gulf War and a Marine division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Mattis last year helped persuade Trump to stay the course in Afghanistan, though Trump ultimately followed his initial instinct to try to get out.

Source: Daily Nation December 21, 2018 04:30 UTC