Donald Trump said Jim Mattis would be replaced as US defence secretary on January 1, two months earlier than the Pentagon chief had announced when he handed in his resignation along with a stinging rebuke of the president this week.
“I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019”, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. “Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!”
Mr Mattis resigned after Mr Trump took a snap decision to remove troops from Syria despite opposition from the defence secretary; General Joe Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs; and John Bolton, national security adviser. Brett McGurk, the top state department official responsible for tackling Isis, also resigned in protest over the move.