News Reporter: Politics A.M.: Mattis resigns after clash with Trump over troop withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan

Democracy Dies in Darkness

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Mattis resigns after clash with Trump over troop withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan

The retired general has helped steer the Trump administration toward foreign policy continuity and restraint.

By Paul Sonne, Josh Dawsey and Missy Ryan · Read more

Trump to sign bipartisan criminal justice bill amid partisan rancor over stopgap spending measure

The president has scheduled an 11 a.m. ceremony to celebrate passage of the First Step Act, which was widely supported by Democrats and Republicans.

By John Wagner · Read more

Analysis

Power Up: Trump kicks chaos theory into overdrive with Mattis out and government shutdown in

Tackling the opioid crisis was a rare bright spot in 2018.

By Jacqueline Alemany · Read more

Monkey Cage · Analysis

Even with Mattis resigning, Trump is still damaging the military's credibility as nonpartisan.

So much for "my generals."

By Michael A. Robinson · Read more

Monkey Cage · Analysis

Why men support marijuana legalization more than women do

As more and more states legalize cannabis, that gap is likely to close.

By Laurel Elder and Steven Greene · Read more

Analysis

President Trump has made 7,546 false or misleading claims over 700 days

Just on one day before the midterm elections, Nov. 5, Trump made 139 false or misleading claims

By Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo and Meg Kelly · Read more

'A tailspin': Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis

Facing a revolt from key parts of his base, the president abruptly moved to attempt to deliver on campaign promises to build a border wall and bring troops home.

By Philip Rucker, Robert Costa and Josh Dawsey · Read more

With spending bill stalled, federal agencies prepare to cease operations at midnight Friday

About a quarter of the government, including the State, Agriculture, Interior, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development departments, would shut down. More than 380,000 federal workers would be sent home without pay.

By Lisa Rein, Damian Paletta and Brady Dennis · Read more

Analysis

Jim Mattis's unmistakable repudiation of Trumpism, annotated

Mattis's digs at Trump's worldview in his resignation letter weren't all that subtle.

By Aaron Blake · Read more

Analysis

Ann Coulter once called Trump a 'god.' Now she says he's 'gutless' if he can't build the wall.

Trump unfollowed Coulter on Twitter this week, a sign of the tension swelling between the president and his right-wing base.

By Eli Rosenberg · Read more

PowerPost · Analysis

In budget brinkmanship, Republicans once again hold themselves hostage

"They're really horrible hostage takers," says Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as the GOP is ending its eight-year run in the majority where it began.

By Paul Kane · Read more

Gen. Jim Mattis is retiring. Here's a timeline of Team Trump departures.

A roundup of the most notable exits since President Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017

By Katie Mettler, Callum Borchers and Nick Kirkpatrick · Read more

Analysis

Trump always said he wouldn't be predictable. The consequences are on display this week.

On funding the government and troops in Syria, Trump has been disrupter-in-chief, leaving it to others to deal with what he has wrought.

By Dan Balz · Read more

Analysis

The Trailer: Iowa's field of dreamers

In this edition: The other Democrats come to Iowa, the race for Chicago's mayor heats up, the Democrats get a debate schedule, and the lame-duck legislatures set the table for 2020.

By David Weigel · Read more