The two had grown so estranged that Trump publicly branded the grizzled Marine “sort of a Democrat,” which was akin to an accusation of treason in his administration.[17] When a congressman that fall asked how things were going, Mattis had replied, “Well, every morning I get up and I go up to my driver and I say, ‘Did they fire me?’ And if he says no, I get in the car and I go to work.” Everyone including Mattis knew his time was coming to an end, the only question had been when.
