Now, Pentagon chief resigns!

Nothing should come as a surprise when it comes to exasperation in the Trump team. When he took over as the US President, he cobbled up the best of the lot in different positions. They were called the Trump administration. Sooner than later, they realised to their dismay, that the President would strike their advice and decisions down and opt for his "gut feeling". Those that did not fall in line would leave and, later, it would be told they had been fired. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had even been heard calling his boss "a moron". Several others felt likewise. The fact that he listens to none is now well known. In the latest development, Kevin Sweeney has resigned as Pentagon chief of staff after serving the defence secretary for two years. "I've decided the time is right to return to the private sector. It has been an honour to serve again alongside the men and women of the Department of Defence," Sweeney said in a short statement posted on the Department of Defence website. A knowledgeable source let it be known that the White House forced Sweeney out. The source did not provide further information about the reason. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan praised Sweeney in a pair of tweets, writing that "we're going to miss him here at the Pentagon." "I greatly appreciate Kevin Sweeney's service to our nation, first as a Navy officer of more than 30 years." Sweeney, who retired as a rear admiral in 2014, served under former Defence Secretary James Mattis, who announced his resignation December 20 after learning of President Donald Trump's plans to withdraw troops from Syria. "Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis wrote in his letter to the President. Trump said he moved Mattis' departure date up to January 1, two months earlier than originally planned. Mattis was part of the latest senior administration to leave Trump's Cabinet. Jeff Sessions was pushed out as attorney general the day after the midterm elections in November, Rex Tillerson was unceremoniously fired as secretary of state in March and national security adviser H.R. McMaster was replaced. Chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White announced last month that she was leaving her post, a move that coincided with Mattis stepping down. There was also an internal Defence Department investigation into her conduct. Leading a team and failing to stand by it means abject failure in leadership. Presiding over a shut government for well over a fortnight, the "accidental President" obviously has all the answers to all problems.