Article snippet: News of Defense Secretary MORE's departure from the Trump administration was met with bipartisan shock and concern on Thursday. Mattis announced he would resign at the end of February, writing in his resignation letter to President MORE (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggested the Trump administration would be destabilized by the Defense secretary's departure. "This is scary. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration," he wrote on Twitter. "As we’ve seen with the President’s haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President’s erratic whims." Rep. tweeted. “He was maybe the last person who could tell this President 'No.' His departure is a dire omen for the future of our alliances and the security of our country.” Mattis, a former general, was confirmed for the top Pentagon post in a 98-1 vote in the Senate; the sole dissenter was Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Sen. MORE (D-Conn.) called Thursday's news “devastating.” “Just imagine the morale crisis at the Department of Defense right now, having sustained the 1-2 punch of the Syria reversal and Mattis resignation,” he tweeted. “Devastating.” High-profile Republicans also expressed concern over the resignation. Sen. MORE (R-Neb.) said Mattis was important for curbing Trump’s isolationist tendencies. “This is a sad day,” Sasse tweeted. "General Mattis was giving advice POTUS needs to... Link to the full article to read more