NEW YORK: President Donald Trump said in a TV interview Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, referring to him “sort of a Democrat”, “could be” leaving his post relatively soon.

The interview that was airing on Sunday evening on CBS’ 60 Minutes programme, excerpts of which were released earlier, Trump said Mattis, a former Marine Corps general, has not told him he planned to leave the administration but it “could be that he is”.

“I have a very good relationship with him,” Trump told CBS’ Lesley Stahl. “I think he’s sort of a Democrat if you want to know the truth. But General Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves. People leave. That’s Washington.”

Speculations have been mounting for months that Trump may fire Mattis.

The defence chief has reportedly been at odds with Trump on several issues, including the president’s request to ban transgender troops from the military as well as his policies towards Nato and North Korea. It is well known that the Trump administration has experienced an unprecedented turnover rate as compared to past administrations.

Last week, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, announced she would be joining the growing list of departed Trump officials at the end of the year.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018