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© Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty ImagesNATO Summit, July 2018: President Trump, Defense Sec Mattis, Sec of State Pompeo, WH Security Adv. Bolton
Sources say the hawkish national security advisor is behind rumors that the defense secretary plans to resign. White House National Security Advisor John Bolton and his deputy are trying to squeeze out U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis by spreading rumors about his imminent departure, according to two well-placed sources.

Bolton and Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, who has repeatedly clashed with Mattis over Defense Department personnel appointments, believe the defense secretary is "not ideologically aligned" with President Donald Trump's administration, according to one of the sources, a former senior defense official. The two are trying "to build the sense that he is done for," the former official said.

"They have the knives out."

One Trump administration official noted, "Mira and Bolton are the only ones who benefit if Secretary Mattis leaves." The secretary is "highly regarded" within the cabinet and by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the official said.

The question of Mattis's departure is closely watched in Washington, in part because he's viewed as an experienced professional with a steady hand in an administration often plagued by turmoil. In countries that have had disputes with the Trump administration - on Iran or NATO, for example - knowing that Mattis has a voice in decision-making has been reassuring.

The former official said the irregularity of National Security Council meetings - in which the president gets assessments and opinions from an array of officials, including the defense secretary - is a point of frustration for the Pentagon.
"What that means is that the president is not regularly hearing in any organized and disciplined fashion from the full range of his advisors," the former official said. "He is getting [the meetings] one-off and ad hoc, and often controlled by Bolton."
The issue has caused tensions between Mattis and Bolton in the past, though a second administration official described this characterization as "100% Mattis spin machine." A White House official noted that Bolton, Mattis, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meet "almost weekly" for breakfast to discuss national security policy.

NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis also denied the allegations. "Ambassador Bolton is working closely with Secretary Mattis to implement the President's agenda," Marquis said. "Any indication otherwise is flatly wrong."

Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, said that "DoD officials regularly attend and contribute to NSC and interagency meetings.