U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis will seek to reassure allies worldwide that they can still rely on an increasingly inward-focused America as he heads to East Asia on the first overseas trip by a Trump administration Cabinet member.
The retired U.S. Marine Corps general leaves Wednesday for South Korea and Japan — two of Washington's closest allies — amid questions about President Donald Trump's commitment to the region, having pulled out of a 12-nation Pacific trade deal and suggesting previously that Asian nations weren't paying enough for U.S. troops stationed in their countries.
"It's a reassurance message," said one Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity.