>> president trump announced on twitter that defense secretary mattis will be retiring at the end of february. with distinction. served as defense secretary for the past two years. the president also tweeted that defense secretary will be named shortly. art of sent mattis's resignation letter is in a tweet from cnn political reporter -- the general wrote to the president because you have the right to have a secretary of better whose views are aligned with yours on these and other subjects i believe it's step down from position. white house press secretary sarah sanders was asked about of defense ion secretary james mattis the government funding deadline and border security. outside the white house this is about five minutes.

secretary mattis -- > >> sorry, guys, one at a time. look, secretary mattis has fored the country admirably s.er four decade by the time he completes his term of secretary of defense for and the president have a good relationship but sometimes they disagree. listens to t always the members of his national security team but at the end of the president's decision to make. he was the one that was elected o be president to be the commander-in-chief, and while he takes all of their opinions and all of their advice into consideration, at the end of the day it's his decision to make. >> why did this happen today?

>> secretary mattis came in, he the president, they made the decision, and he won't another couple of to make ut he wanted the decision today. >> -- i'm sorry did. ask him to dent resign? >> not that i'm aware of, no. >> can you explain what happened with the president and paul ryan? paul ryan was on capitol hill made it seem like the president would sign the stopgap solution. happened between yesterday and today? >> the president has been cleared from the beginning he something that gives border security and he's not going to sign something that that.t have that in we've been saying that for days, if not months. that y that didn't know the president wanted border security in any funding bill simply hasn't been paying attention. think he was n going to sign? >> that's a question would you have to ask speaker ryan. only speak on behalf of the president.

>> i can't hear you. what extent did the president and mattis discuss their differences? >> they had a long conversation, but again, they have a good relationship. we expect him to continue to have a good relationship. the president has a great deal of respect for secretary mattis. he'll stay on for another couple of months. that's a great indicator of the type of cooperation they have. like i said, just a second ago, the president's national team's job is to give hill advice and it's the president's job to make a decision. he doesn't always take the advice of one individual over another. large why he has a national security team so he can get input. frankly it's not surprising that at some t disagree point. that's a great thing remarks good thing for government to a lot of different viewpoints so the president can get every single angle and every perspective and be very when he makes a decision. > if the president and james mattis have such a good relationships you and several

other officials have said in the why did james mattis not offer a single word of praise for the president in his resignation letter? know you want to get down into the weeds of these things ut secretary mattis -- let me finish, i respectfully let me ask an absurd question, mattis has served the president and with the president for two years, they have a good it up nship, i have seen close and personal on a number they asions, and, again, agree to disagree at times but that doesn't mean you can't have shim. relation he was laying tout reasons he was stepping down from his post, it's yond that, i think absurd to try to question the act that they worked together for two full years. >> i'll take one last question. demand for border security? how much is enough? >> we're not going to negotiate the president but wants to make sure he gets enough that he feels comfortable people.ing the american that's the number one job he has.

let's not forget that every of congress both republicans and dells, have campaigned that they want border security, too. playing political games and they have to decide whether or not they hate the resident more than they love this country, and they have to decide that they are going to fulfill the duty that they took took the oath of office and that they came in here to do. border campaigned on security. we hope they will fulfill their promise like the president is oing his and he'll uphold his constitutional duty to protect the american people and we hope that they will join with us. he said he would name by the end of the year. >> are there names in mind? *-*-

>> sunday on q&a, columnist jenkins talks about his work and era.ics during the trump >> i think his politics are wants to be the center of attention i don't think he's a racist. think the way he looks at people, everyone is either a friend or an enemy and you can categories very easily. he holds no grudges. but, you know, i think his ideas about -- his ideas, the america first thing is an idea that he dear, that our country has been shortchanged in its dealings with the rest of the reflects in trade policy and immigration policy. of things, that in the minds many of his supporters and middle america, have hurt them prospects.conomic that's a sincere set of beliefs on his part. holman jenkins, sunday night q&a 00 eastern on c-span's >> the house passed a government

217-185. bill, that would fund the government until february 8. it's different than the senate version. it includes $5.7 billion for a $#.8mexico border wall and billion in disaster relief. the senate will need to consider the new spending bill before government funding midnight.riday at president trump talked about the need to include funds for a during a bill event.g >> before going any further, i matter of ress a vital national importance. you've already been seeing it, border it, hearing it, security. every nation has not only the the absolute duty to protect its borders and its citizens. a nation without borders is a nation not at all. without borders, we have