The clock strikes midnight on new years eve. The president s decision startling u. S. Allies who were already concerned about mattiss upcoming exit. What does it mean for the transition . We are learning a little bit more this morning about who exactly will replace mattis. At least temporarily. His number two Patrick Shanahan will leave. Heres how they are explaining what the president might want to see in the next pentagon chief. I think the relationship between those two had been fraying. I think the president no longer relied on mattis to be able to deliver the president s vision. Nbcs jeff bennett is on duty for us at 1600 pennsylvania. Whats the latest on how all these decisions played out and the reaction from the white house . Well, two Senior Administration officials tell us mattis learned of his revised end date yesterday in a phone call from mike pomp pompeo. It appears President Trump read the resignation letter. It was a rebuke of the actions and world view of trump. Source