Unhappy Rex Tillerson and James Mattis both go on “vacation” amid buzz of Tillerson’s resignation
Donald Trump’s most senior cabinet members are leaving the building, and it’s unclear how many of them might return. Donald Trump’s effort to get rid of Attorney General Jeff Sessions may not be the only personnel change underway. At a time when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is reportedly unhappy with Trump’s behavior, he now says he’s taking some time off. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is also taking an interestingly timed vacation.
Various reports over the past two days have claimed that Tillerson is displeased with Trump’s unwillingness to let him properly staff the State Department, that he’s unhappy with how Trump is treating Sessions, and that he was offended by Trump’s inappropriate speech to the Boy Scouts. Now Tillerson’s spokesperson says that he’s taking some “time off” from the job (source: link) while insisting that he’s not actually quitting – but we’ll see if he ends up coming back or not. And he’s not the only one stepping away.
James Mattis is also taking “time off” in ill defined fashion. This comes even as numerous major foreign policy dust-ups are playing out across the globe. And it raises the question of why an angry Tillerson and increasingly invisible Mattis have both suddenly decided to step away as Trump continues to assault his own Attorney General in viciously personal fashion.
Is this their form of lodging a protest against Donald Trump’s attacks on their fellow cabinet member Jeff Sessions? Are they both stepping away because they can’t handle being around Trump’s antics anymore? Or is the Trump administration simply being run so poorly that two top cabinet members both just happen to be on vacation while a third top cabinet member is in the process of being ousted? This doesn’t feel right. Keep an eye out to see how many of them actually come back from their “vacations” and how many don’t. If you find Palmer Report valuable, make a donation.
