Day 688: John Kelly to leave White House with stink of Trump all over him
John Kelly was announced as the White House Chief of Staff in July 2017. Less than 18 months later, he’s set to leave, according to numerous reports.
Kelly had committed to stay on through the 2020 election, but apparently two more years was two more years too many. And like many before him, he’s tarnished a good name by working for Donald Trump.
No longer will Kelly be exclusively remembered for being a four-star Marine Corps General with a sterling record. Since taking the Secretary of Homeland Security gig under Trump, then Chief of Staff, he’s allowed himself to be humiliated by Trump, and handled a good bit of that on his own accord to boot.
Kelly has defended Trump’s heinous handling of a phone call with a gold star widow by claiming Trump “expressed his condolences in the best way that he could” before lying about a congresswoman’s record after Trump was criticized for the call.
When Trump continued to talk about the importance of monuments in the South that many deem racist or offensive or ridiculous to glamorize in the 21st century, Kelly defended the confederacy and Robert E. Lee’s honor. That was an especially strange look for a Marine who spent his life dedicated to protecting the nation.
He referred to immigrants as lazy and said they don’t assimilate well to bolster Trump’s rhetoric attempting to undercut DACA and means of legal immigration.
Kelly protected and promoted White House staff secretary Rob Porter despite extremely credible allegations — including photographs and a protective order — that Porter abused both of ex-wives. Kelly went so far to say Porter was a “man of true integrity and honor, and I can’t say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him.” Once Porter resigned, Kelly allegedly instructed staff and aides to tell reporters that he immediately fired him upon learning of the allegations, despite the evidence to the total contrary. Kelly reportedly urged Porter not to resign.
Upon firing staffer Omarosa Manigault, he pressured her to keep quiet, saying, “I’d like to see this be a friendly departure. There are pretty significant legal issues that we hope don’t develop into something that, that’ll make it ugly for you.”
All of this could have been avoided had Kelly just never worked for Trump or stopped working for him far sooner. Rather than stand up to Trump based on principles or the law, he was easily pushed aside and made into a loyal foot soldier rather than a leading general.
And for that, in less than two years, Kelly stomped all over his own record by forever tying himself to Donald Trump.
688 days in, 774 to go
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