By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump says Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave his post on Jan. 1. Trump announced Mattis' new departure date in a tweet, and said he's naming deputy defense chief Patrick Shanahan as acting secretary.

The move comes just three days after Mattis resigned in protest over Trump's decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria. Mattis originally said he would stay through February to ensure an orderly transition.

 

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)