The Trump Administration, the stock markets in turmoil, the generals are out, the government is about to shut down and be in a bit of a crisis mode. This is a presidency in crisis right now. Were going to stay on top of all of the Breaking News. Thanks so much for watching. Erin Burnett Outfront starts erin Burnett Outfront starts right now. Captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com good evening, im erin burnett. Outfront tonight, the Breaking News, Defense Secretary jim mattis quits. In a stunning letter to the president of the United States, the four Star General Calling Out President Trump for not backing American Allies, for supporting authoritarian regimes. I want to read the entire letter, because this is a Turning Point for this administration, for President Trump, and for this country. Here is the letter from Defense Secretary mattis to the president of the United States, which he handed him today, in which he quit. Dear mr. President , i have been privileged to serve as our
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mounted with a camera live streaming the rampage. he tried to force himself inside a synagogue. among those inside, americans. matt lauer s accuser coming forward. the new allegation that the former anchor raped her. her new statement tonight to nbc news and lauer s new denial massive blackout power intentionally cut to millions as wildfires rage in california this is not an inconvenience for us it s life and death. the controversial move to prevent potential disaster and our nbc news exclusive. bernie sanders first interview since surviving a heart attack what he s saying about returning to the campaign trail. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening, everyone turkey tonight wasting no time launching a military attack on u.s. kurdish allies inside syria just two days after receiving a virtual green light from president trump. with american troops ordered to remain on the sidelines, a
in response, threatening to totally destroy and obliterate the economy of turkey if turkey goes too far against the kurds. today the president tweeting we are slowly and carefully bringing our great soldiers and military home. we are speaking to both sides and we re seeing what can be made out of a situation, but we have no soldiers in the area we re getting out of the endless wars reporter: but that has not stopped condemnations from some of president trump s republican allies if we pull out, the kurds are in a world of hurt and isis comes back and president trump will own it. reporter: many of the 1,000 u.s. troops still in syria feel horribly about what s going on with orders not to help the kurds who fought shoulder to shoulder with them against isis losing 11,000 of their men and women. and tonight there are fears about these detention camps holding tens of thousands of isis fighters and supporters with kurdish troops rushing to the front lines, there are fewer guards at t
the u.s. kurdish allies inside syria. this becomes the critical question, the critical red line, perhaps, for jim mattis, because by the president s decision to withdraw u.s. troops from syria, leaves those kurdish fighters that the u.s. had pledged to support, it leaves them abandoned. it leaves them at risk. mattis is a military man of 40 years. you do not leave your friends on the battlefield, and that s the position president trump put him in. so, he met with president trump later in the day about 3:00 we re told at the white house, tried to convince the president one last time to change his mind about syria. the president did not, and it is at that point that mattis had no option in his mind but to resign. this is not a surprise if you know jim mattis. it perhaps surprising that it didn t happen before this, but he also tonight knows that the
part of the national security leadership of this administration, and as barbara was just saying a few moments ago, and i think you were echoing this as well, wolf, this comes, secretary mattis leaving the administration comes, or this announcement that he s leaving the administration comes, right in the middle of this very fierce debate over what should happen to u.s. troops in syria. lindsey graham was just saying earlier today, and we just played it in our piece a little while ago, that according to lindsey graham, members of the president is s own national security team were advocating against this withdrawal of u.s. troops from syria, and so if you believe what lindsey graham is saying and and it does sound like he s got his finger on the pulse of this administration and talks to people inside the national security apparatus of this administration on a regular basis, general matt its, the defense secretary, was against this decision to pull these troops out of syria. he would obv