Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images President Donald Trump has reportedly soured on Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, is making more US military policy on his own. Trump didn't consult Mattis when he withdrew from the Iran deal, dropped military exercises with South Korea, and ordered the creation of a new military branch. A Pentagon spokesperson said it was silly to think Mattis wasn't in the loop. But the Pentagon has a history of disjointed responses to snap decisions from Trump.