Report: Mattis Plays Peacemaker Between McMaster, Bannon

Defense Secretary James Mattis had to intervene in an argument between two top-level White House officials, Politico reports.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon reportedly engaged in a heated argument over Afghanistan. Bannon pushed for the U.S. to pull out of the region, while McMaster argued for even greater involvement.

"The dispute got so out of hand, according to a pair of senior White House officials, that Secretary of Defense James Mattis had to intervene to get the discussion back on track," Politico reports.

These officials added that McMaster thinks Bannon has been leaking negative material about him to the news, including Bannon's former employer, Breitbart.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is at odds with military leaders over the issue of sending additional military forces to Afghanistan. The Trump administration is currently weighing a reduction of U.S. military presence instead.

"It’s a macro question as to whether the U.S., this administration, and this president are committed to staying,” an unnamed senior administration official told the paper. “It doesn’t work unless we are there for a long time, and if we don't have the appetite to be there a long time, we should just leave. It’s an unanswered question."

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