Several Republican lawmakers slammed the Trump administration following news of Defense Secretary James Mattis' resignation.
Mattis, a retired four-star general, stepped down from his post Thursday over major differences with President Donald Trump on how to treat allies and the need for a more "resolute" approach to Russia and China, among other issues.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called the news "sad" and ripped into President Donald Trump.
"General Mattis was giving advice POTUS needs to hear," he said. "Mattis rightly believes that Russia & China are adversaries, and that we are at war with jihadists across the globe who plot to kill Americans. Isolationism is a weak strategy that will harm America and America's allies. Radical jihadists are still at war with us, and NO, MR PRESIDENT, ISIS is not gone. It's not true – and just proclaiming it doesn't make it so."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who Wednesday condemned Trump's decision to execute the "full" and "rapid" withdrawal of U.S. military from Syria, said of Mattis' resignation:
"That's what happens when you ignore sound military advice."
Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, also criticized the move, saying "this chaos, both foreign and domestic, is putting America in danger and must stop immediately."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Mattis' resignation letter "makes it abundantly clear that we are headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances & empower our adversaries."
"I hope we who have supported this administration's initiatives over the last two years can persuade the President to choose a different direction," Rubio added. "But we must also fulfill our constitutional duty to conduct oversight over the policies of the executive branch."
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