OpsLens Video
In the midst of a sweeping reshuffle for Donald Trump’s national security team, it appears the role of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is becoming less clear. Recent events, including Mattis being overruled by Trump on strikes in Syria without congressional approval as well as the influx of advisers more willing to back the president’s instincts, hint the defense secretary is becoming isolated. A prominent Washington national security figure, who has in recent months met with many Trump officials says of Mattis, “Either you conclude his influence is very high because of where Syria turned out, or it’s the beginning of the end.”
