The Man Who Couldn't Take It Anymore

Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic

Politics, News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2019

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

In December, Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned in protest after President Trump announced plans to withdraw troops from Syria. As the last "adult in the room" at the White House, critics worried his departure would loosen the president’s behavior even further. Days after the news broke though, Christmas and the government shutdown pushed Mattis’ resignation into the background. Now, nine months later, he’s beginning to speak publicly again. For the latest issue of the magazine, Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg had a series of conversations with Mattis following his resignation. He re-joins Radio Atlantic with host Edward-Isaac Dovere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You! Tonight breaking news as we come on the air Defense Secretary James Mattis is out sending his resignation to the
0:24.8	president it comes to now got a resignation letter here from general Mattis the
0:29.0	defense secretary defense secretary
0:30.8	defense secretary James Mattis surprised president Trump when he handed him his resignation letter,
0:35.6	this according to sources, a letter that has sent shock waves across Washington and the world.
0:42.2	This is Radio Atlantic.
0:43.3	I'm Isaac Dauver.
0:45.1	Nine months ago, Secretary of Defense James Mattis resigned.
0:48.3	It's easy to forget those big moments, given what politics is like these days.
0:52.2	The news was quickly eclipsed by the government
0:53.8	shutdown then and there have been many many big moments since. But it was, by any
0:59.3	measure, one of the most significant events of the Trump presidency so far.
1:03.3	His departure surprised the president and the nation,
1:06.0	not to mention many concerned allies.
1:08.3	Mattis was the last so-called adult in the room
1:11.0	for Trump's White House.
1:12.4	HR McMaster, John Kelly, Rex Tillerson.
1:15.4	These were supposedly checks on the president,
1:17.6	and they were gone.
1:19.2	Mattis was the last ago.
1:21.0	Well, now he's finally speaking up with a new book coming out next week. Our editor-in-chief, Jeff
1:25.7	Goldberg, has known Mattis for a long time. He's been talking to him since his departure, and in the
	...

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