Thread: John Kelly reportedly threatened to quit as Chief of Staff after falling out with ...

John Kelly reportedly threatened to quit as Chief of Staff after falling out with Trump: Axios

Chief of Staff John Kelly got into a heated argument with President Trump and threatened to quit, Axios reported Saturday.
The retired general was ultimately calmed by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the report added.
The story fanned new speculation that the relationship between Trump and his chief of staff is badly strained.

Javier E. David | @TeflonGeek
Published 9 Hours Ago Updated 6 Hours Ago CNBC.com

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly threatened to resign in late March, political website Axios reported on Saturday, adding to speculation of a rift between he and President Donald Trump.

On March 28, Kelly engaged in a heated Oval Office discussion with the president, according to the publication. While en route to his office, the retired general vowed to quit before Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen reportedly "talked him off a ledge."

A senior administration official told Axios that calling it a threat was "probably too strong, it was more venting frustration."

Since taking the reins as Chief of Staff, Kelly and Trump are said to have a tense relationship. The former has experienced difficulty reining in his impulsive boss, who is said to be isolating his top lieutenant from key decisions, according to a report in The Associated Press.

Staffers currently believe Kelly's days in the White House might be numbered, The AP reported, though talk of his imminent departure has swirled around Washington for some time.

With Environmental Protection Agency Chief Scott Pruitt also said to be on thin ice, political observers have been guessing which official might be next to depart an administration engulfed in multiple controversies. Kelly and Trump are said to be at odds over whether Pruitt should be forced to step aside, with the EPA official also battered by scandal.

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Axios' full report can be found on its website.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/07/john...aff-axios.html

Trump moved Kelly to White House Chief of Staff because he thought Kelly could stop the leaks. While some of the leaks have been reduced, he hasn't stopped them. Instead he's become the subject of the leaks.

I really don't understand people who want to cause stinks like this in any employment situation, let alone in the White House. There is no better listener than Donald Trump to your opinions, especially opposing opinions. But once a decision is made after hearing your opinions, you say "yes sir Mr. President". You don't storm out grumbling in the hallways threatening to quit in earshot of staff and reporters lurking around or calling your boss a moron in a room of leakers.

You'd think Generals and CEO's would know this will not end well for them.

Mattis, Kelly and a few others need to be shown the exit.

With the Dems falling all over the place, Trump will sweep the next election minus some big scandal.

I'm okay with Mattis, I think he's done a great job in Iraq and Syria, and will soon take care of the mess in Afghanistan and on our borders.

Yes, the Dems are lost. At this point, they're not only way out in left field, they're foul balls in left field.

Trump attacks 'garbage' Washington Post; calls Kelly story 'hit job'

By Joseph Weber
2 hours ago

President Trump on Sunday lashed out again at The Washington Post, calling a recent story by the newspaper suggesting White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has lost credibility and has been reduced to “intern” status a “hit job.”

“The Washington Post is far more fiction than fact. Story after story is made up garbage -- more like a poorly written novel than good reporting. Always quoting sources (not names), many of which don’t exist. Story on John Kelly isn’t true, just another hit job!" Trump tweeted.

Trump has in recent weeks launched a full-scale attack on the newspaper, which has been critical of his presidential campaign and administration, and the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos.

The president has suggested that Bezos made his fortune at Amazon in part with a sweetheart deal with the U.S. Postal Service that allows the mega online retailer to ship merchandise at bargain rates and that Amazon has avoided paying state sales taxes.

The Post story Saturday says in part: “The recurring and escalating clashes between the president and his chief of staff trace the downward arc of Kelly’s eight months in the White House. Both his credibility and his influence have been severely diminished, administration officials said, a clear decline for the retired four-star Marine Corps general who arrived with a reputation for integrity and a mandate to bring order to a chaotic West Wing.”

The story also includes former Clinton administration Chief of Staff Leon Panetta speculating about Kelly’s status by saying: “When you lose that power … you become a virtual White House intern, being told where to go and what to do.”

While Panetta spoke, the story, which includes several anecdotes of alleged, profanity-laced Kelly tirades, does not include any information from named sources inside the White House, as Trump pointed out in his tweet Sunday.

“This portrait of Kelly’s trajectory is based on interviews with 16 administration officials, outside advisers and presidential confidants, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to assess the chief of staff,” the lengthy, 2,200-plus word story states.

The story also states: “Days after the publication of Michael Wolff’s ‘Fire and Fury’ -- a devastating portrayal of the West Wing, informed by Wolff’s hours of unsupervised time there — Kelly berated senior staff, saying the book should have never happened. ‘This place was a [expletive] before I got here.’ ”

Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, became chief of staff in July 2017, replacing Reince Priebus in an purported attempt to stop damaging Oval Office leaks and perhaps limit Trump’s free-wheeling messaging, which includes essentially daily and multiple Twitter posts.

However, Kelly has created some of his own problems, including the public outcry over his handling of the domestic abuse allegations against then-staff secretary Rob Porter, who was fired.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...y-hit-job.html

Looks like the story about Kelly was just a WaPo hit job against him. SAD!

Originally Posted by Judy

Looks like the story about Kelly was just a WaPo hit job against him. SAD!

Hit job or not, that still doesn't mean much of it wasn't true. I would be more than happy to see Kelly quit! My feelings also wouldn't be hurt if he grabbed Javanka and Secretary of DHS Nielsen on his way out the door!

That makes the story vicious gossip instead of news.