Editing Donald Rumsfeld (section)

===Resignation===
[[File:Margaret Thatcher 060912-F-0193C-006.jpg|thumb|right|Rumsfeld with former British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General [[Peter Pace]], 2006]]

Eight U.S. and other [[Member states of NATO|NATO-member]] retired generals and admirals called for Rumsfeld to resign in early 2006 in what was called the "Generals Revolt", accusing him of "abysmal" military planning and lack of strategic competence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/washington/14military.html |work=The New York Times |title=More Retired Generals Call for Rumsfeld's Resignation |first1=David S. |last1=Cloud |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt |date=April 14, 2006 |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109133044/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/washington/14military.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Revenge of the battered generals |last=Baldwin |first=Tom |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article706556.ece |date=April 18, 2006 |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |access-date=August 22, 2008 |archive-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510022329/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article706556.ece |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401649_pf.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Bush Speaks Out for Rumsfeld|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|first2=Josh|last2=White|access-date=May 1, 2010|archive-date=June 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629021426/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401649_pf.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Commentator [[Pat Buchanan]] reported at the time that ''[[Washington Post]]'' columnist [[David Ignatius]], who traveled often to Iraq and supported the war, said the generals "mirror the views of 75 percent of the officers in the field, and probably more".<ref>{{cite web |first=Patrick J. |last=Buchanan |work=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |author-link=Pat Buchanan |title=Smackdown 2006: The Generals Vs. Rumsfeld for the Top Prize |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OYw1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2539,7675827 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624155019/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OYw1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2539,7675827 |url-status=live }}</ref> Rumsfeld rebuffed these criticisms, stating, "out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagreed we changed the secretary of defense of the United States, it would be like a merry-go-round."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2139847/#sb2140026 |title=How many retired generals are there? |author=Daniel Engber |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |archive-date=April 17, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060417173552/http://www.slate.com/id/2139847/#sb2140026}}</ref> Bush defended Rumsfeld throughout and responded by stating that Rumsfeld is "exactly what is needed".<ref>{{cite news|date=April 14, 2006 |title=Bush: Rumsfeld 'exactly what is needed' |work=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/14/iraq.rumsfeld/index.html |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826093036/http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/14/iraq.rumsfeld/index.html |archive-date=August 26, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Bush and Rumsfeld shakes hands, November 8, 2006.jpg|thumb|right|Rumsfeld shakes President Bush's hand as he announces his resignation, November 8, 2006.]]
On November 1, 2006, Bush stated he would stand by Rumsfeld as defense secretary for the length of his term as president.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6421567 |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=November 2, 2006 |first=Don |last=Gonyea |title=Bush Voices Support for Rumsfeld, Cheney |access-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529145751/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6421567 |url-status=live }}</ref> Rumsfeld wrote a resignation letter dated November 6, 2006, and, per the stamp on the letter, Bush saw it on [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]], November 7, 2006.<ref name="Reuters2007-08-15">{{cite news|first=Kristin |last=Roberts |title=Rumsfeld resigned before election, letter shows |date=August 15, 2007 |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-rumsfeld-resignation/rumsfeld-resigned-before-election-letter-shows-idUSN1524505720070815 |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] |access-date=August 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726104051/https://www.reuters.com/article/2007/08/15/us-usa-rumsfeld-resignation-idUSN1524505720070815 |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2006 United States general elections|elections]], the House and the Senate shifted to Democratic control. After the elections on November 8, 2006, Bush announced Rumsfeld would resign his position as Secretary of Defense. Many Republicans were unhappy with the delay, believing they would have won more votes if voters had known Rumsfeld was resigning.<ref name="Reuters2007-08-15" />

Bush nominated [[Robert Gates]] to succeed Rumsfeld.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6130296.stm |work=BBC News |title=Rumsfeld replaced after poll loss |date=November 9, 2006 |access-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512060317/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6130296.stm |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/rice-offered-to-resign-following-bushs-2004-re-election |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |title=Rice Offered to Resign Following Bush's 2004 Re-Election |first=James |last=Rosen |author-link=James Rosen (journalist) |date=October 2, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316014334/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/10/02/rice-offered-to-resign-following-bush-2004-re-election/ |archive-date=March 16, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Rumsfeld quitting as defense secretary |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/08/rumsfeld/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=November 9, 2006 |access-date=November 8, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061108231100/http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/08/rumsfeld/index.html |archive-date=November 8, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> On December 15, 2006, a farewell ceremony, with an armed forces full honor review and a [[21-gun salute|19-gun salute]], was held at the Pentagon Mall Terrace in honor of the departing Rumsfeld.<ref>{{cite web |title=Secretary Rumsfeld Farewell Ceremony |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?195815-1/secretary-rumsfeld-farewell-ceremony |website=www.c-span.org |publisher=[[C-SPAN]] |access-date=6 July 2021 |language=en-us |date=December 15, 2006 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031113023/https://www.c-span.org/video/?195815-1%2Fsecretary-rumsfeld-farewell-ceremony |url-status=live }}</ref>