We’ve seen this movie several times before during the first two acts of the Trump presidency: President Trump says or does something the majority of Washington condemns, Republican lawmakers mutter in private about how reckless the president can be, and reporters begin pontificating about whether the alliance between Trump and his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill is finally falling apart.

This has been one of the themes of the last few weeks, after Republicans who are normally quick to defend Trump made their displeasure about troop pullouts from Syria and Afghanistan loud and clear. The situation advanced when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced he would retire in February, followed by Trump deciding Dec. 31 would be his last day instead.