Mad Dog Mattis and Donald Trump are now sworn enemies

Jim Mattis never did like being called Mad Dog. The four-star Marine Corps general and Trump's first defence secretary put up with it whenever the president referred to him by his nickname because it meant he was well in favour with his commander-in-chief. But when things started to go wrong and Mattis began to disagree with Trump's policies, especially on Afghanistan and Syria, the president became very unhappy with his chosen defence secretary and referred in private to him as Moderate Dog. From then on Mattis's days were numbered and he was forced out. Since then, Mattis has made a few disparaging remarks about Trump but now he has hurled some pretty heavy stuff at the president over his proposal to send in the troops to sort out protesters in Washington. Mattis is shocked and outraged by Trump's divisive rhetoric. It doesn't seem to bother Trump one bit. He has responded the same way he reacted the last time Mattis dared to venture an opinion in public about the president. Trump who once praised Mattis to the skies, saying what a brilliant defence secretary he was, dismissed him out of hand, claiming he always thought he was overrated. It's such a cynical world. Mattis opened himself up for abuse by making public his views but it's sad to see him being denigrated in this way. Mattis had an impressive career as a military commander and was welcomed by the Pentagon as the right man for the job of defence secretary. Now Mattis only has to raise his head above the parapet and he gets shot down by the president. and now we have Mark Esper, the current defence secretary, daring to voice his disagreement with Trump over the question of sending the military to quell rioters. I reckon Trump will already be looking around for a new defence secretary. Trump wants absolute loyalty from his cabinet members. So I'd be surprised if Esper survives much longer. One person Trump will not be turning to to fill a vacancy at the Pentagon is Jim Mattis.