9/18/2018

JAMES MATTIS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday [9-18-18] flatly dismissed reports suggesting he may be leaving President Donald Trump’s administration in the coming months, saying flatly: ‘I wouldn’t take it seriously at all’…The remarks were the most direct by Mattis to date about intensifying rumors about his future as Trump approaches the half-way mark of his four-year term amid speculation about changes to his cabinet after upcoming November mid-term elections. Mattis has become a focus in media stories in recent weeks about the Trump administration, particularly after the release of a book this month by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward that portrayed Mattis privately disparaging Trump to associates.”

Phil Stewart, “Mattis dismisses reports he may be leaving Trump administration,” Reuters, September 18, 2018 1:27 pm