After James Mattis attempted to resign on principle, Donald Trump announced this morning that his departure would be effectively immediate rather than with a transition period.
Direct from the horse:
And a bit of other coverage:
James Mattis to depart Pentagon by January 1; Trump to name Patrick Shanahan as acting Defense Secretary
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday he would replace Defense Secretary James Mattis at the start of the new year, two months earlier than Mattis' planned departure.
Shanahan is currently Deputy Secretary of Defense, and is moving up. No word on how long his tenure will be or whether he’s actually met with the President. If this is as knee-jerk as it appears and he also displays inconvenient levels of independence he might not even make it to his appointment date.