trying to assert himself at a time when there is uncertainty in the markets and at a time when he himself is on vacation. the president has staked so much of his legacy on a booming economy. when he sees this sort of report coming from wall street, it certainly frustrates him, kate. >> also hearing from the white house, though, on a very important issue, the president now forcing secretary of defense jim mattis out two months earlier than mattis had planned. why? what are you hearing about this? >> reporter: yeah, kate, that's right, the president tapping mattis' deputy, patrick shanahan, to fill the role on january 1st, a full two months before mattis was expected to leave. sources indicate that the president was not aware of just how critical that resignation letter written by jim mattis was until after he saw coverage of it on television. that apparently infuriated him, and so did the fact that so many lawmakers and other key figures around the administration seemed to lament mattis' departure, particularly as one of the adults in the room who was