So Kelly wants out...
Now, after supporting Porter into resignation and ignominy. Trump can do the same with Kelly.
It's important Kelly be forced out because every small setback for Trump is to be celebrated.
It needs to be made clear again and again that Trump is not fit for office and that he refuses to stand next to people who are capable and trustworthy.
Trump has the mental age of 12 and can be watched taunting his adult critics like a schoolyard bully, "No, you're a liar! No, you're a traitor!"
Anyone who is competent and honest wouldn't work for Trump, but Trump doesn't want them anyway. They make him look bad in comparison.
Trump really does embody the American ethos - get rich by outliving your parents then do whatever you can get away with. America's Nero.
It remains my abiding fascination that Americans are unable or unwilling to join the dots and face up to what is coming - absolute disaster.
So you are all just going to sit and watch it happen like this presidency was just a Netflix series with the plot set in the title, "Real Fascists of DC".
War with Iran by September - that's the ratings event Trump has planned - and if you don't think that's likely, you still have zero insight into your TV president.
1
Republicans were more upset about President Obama wearing a tan suit than they are with the shenanigans going on in this white house, and John Kelly's inability to manage the adult day care center.
What a myth it was that Kelly would run a tight ship. No security clearance for the man giving trump classified intelligence information? Who's dating someone in the white house at the same time? Who not long ago ended her affair with another staffer?
This is reality television. Time for President Kelly to step down. This system enables Trump to avoid intelligence briefings, tweet until noon, and simply hang out until the weekend golf trips.
It is worse than ever. This cannot continue as is. We are reliving the nightmare of election night every day of this presidency.
6
Trump's good SOTU "reviews" sure didn't't last long. I knew in a few days he'd be back to his regular nudnik self. I think if this keeps up, it'll be very possible for the Dems to take both houses in 2018 and the presidency in 2020. After that, the Republicans and their phony "principles" will get tossed onto the ash heap of history, where they've always belonged.
3
I'm not surprised at John Kelly's endorsement of Porter. I'm not surprised that despite knowing the man to be a wife beater, and that he didn't have security clearance for the job he was doing, that he would prefer to believe that 2 women were lying. Ex general Kelly has already told us what he thinks of women. That they are `sacred'. I suspect that deep down, he also believes the women should be `kept in their place' and that men have the right to insist on this. I also suspect that the protestations of `domestic violence is unacceptable' are hollow, and say, `women are liars and out to punish good men.'
Kelly has shown his true colours, racism, misogyny and dishonesty. He was not corrupted by Trump, he was attracted to the corruption because it echoed what was already in him, but which had not previously been exposed. No one can be corrupted unless they are willing to be corrupted.
4
Trump needs to widen his circle. There is a poison among that group and it's bred of incompetence. It almost seems incestuous to me.
Kelly has shown who he really is. He may have been Kelly at one time but he now seems like Darth Vader basking in the dark side. Whether it is nature or seduction he cannot really do what we hope he would do.
Trump only cares about himself, his image, his fortunes. If you reflect badly on him, or worse yet steal his limelight, you are likely to risk firing.
Can we not cancel this reality show. It's well past 26 weeks and the ratings are questionable.
It might help things at the WH if they hired progressive black women to whip these boys into shape. I doubt they'd get away with anything but I also doubt progressive black women would go near the place and who could blame them?
2
In selecting Gen. Kelley Trump again showed his incompetence in selecting capable people to do the jobs around him.
Trump's sole competence was in running real estate scams -- American banks got so that they refused to loan him money for his schemes, and he was involved in at least 1000 lawsuits defending his positions. No where in that background is there even a hint of skill at managing a political organization as complex as the US government.
So he appointed Gen. Kelly to manage the White House. Bad choice. Kelley is a military commander, by nature an authoritarian used to having people follow orders to the T. The White House is exactly the opposite filled with diverse introspective souls who have no intention of following orders if they can avoid it. And then there is managing Trump and his vagaries.
If Gen. Kelley resigns, as he should, I'd attribute more credit to him than any other senior person in the White House. It would be a personal admission that he doesn't belong there -- more courage and insight than any of the Cabinet or other senior staff.
3
The problem is that this "man of integrity" has now been caught lying several times. Whatever happened to John Kelly?
1
Is there a single clear-minded Republican out there who can look at the mountain of evidence of incompetence and disarray in this administration and suggest the resignation of the President? After a year on the job it is obvious he does not have the knowledge or judgement for the job, and his staff is nothing but chaos. Those Republicans with knowledge and experience are smart enough not to go near this disaster. Therefore we'll continue to get unqualified, ideological lapdogs in the WH who know this is their only chance to have any real power and influence, and this will only get worse and more dangerous.
Hopefully the average voter will put all Republicans on probation for a few generations for their gross negligence in failing to properly vet their Presidential candidate. It remains unbelievable that Republicans knowingly decided to put the country through what can most generously be described as a circus.
4
Let's see, the defenders first attribute the liar-in-chief's behavior due to his being new in the Washington political business, now ditto with John Kelly who, we were reminded by the wonderfully straight faced liar otherwise called the press secretary as a four star general and therefore we should be careful arguing with him.
Indeed so many of Trump's appointees also lack this thing called Washington politics so I guess we should not only forgive but expect strange behavior from this crowd. Let's Make America Lie Again.
2
“Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor, and I can’t say enough good things about him,” Mr. Kelly said. “He is a friend, a confidant and a trusted professional.” This from a man who knew about Porter's domestic violence. This makes kelly a manipulative liar at best and there is no excuse for his words or deeds.
2
It is a fool's errand to try bringing maturity or dignity to this White House. Before Kelly signed up, it was well understood that association with Trump was toxic to one's reputation. Sorry, Mr. Kelly, but you should have seen this coming.
1
I remember watching an interview w Obama on 60 minutes as he was stepping down as president. I remember his humility and pride over the fact that there had never been an internal scandal amongst his staff during his 8 yrs.
It seems like weekly, or almost weekly, that there is a Trump scandal, and yet some of our most ignorant and insecure Americans continue to treat Trump like he is Jesus incarnate.
I am so ashamed of our country right now. I don't think I'll ever be able recover.
2
It seems that Trump's skills in hiring people are equivalent to his every other skill set. That is to say, he is spectacularly incompetent.
2
Intriguing, on this side of The Pond the phrase, “X has confidence in...” is generally viewed by politicos and journos as starting the countdown towards a resignation/firing.
1
Yes Trump sees the world upside down. The problems erupt when those around him try to turn themselves upside down to accommodate Mr Trump. Trump is the disaster continually happening.
16
I'm sorry, but I had to burst out laughing at Trump's mentioning of Mick Mulvaney as a replacement for Kelly. Mulvaney is already the Director of the White House Budget Office AND head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Does Trump think Mulvaney is now the new Jared Kushner and can handle yet a third position?
This style of management is sophomoric and unsophisticated, to say the least. And now that we're getting a small taste of a slowing economy with the markets tumbling 10% and a possible nuclear confrontation with North Korea, this is truly the type of "world-class management" Trump, the "management genius," has gifted us.
We will rue the day we foisted someone this incomprehensibly unstable, with little common sense and even less managerial skills, as our leader. Real crises in the economy and in international relations are starting to rear their ugly heads, and THIS is the man who will be charged with handling them.
May God truly see us through this in one piece...
38
Kelly and Trump are two peas in a pod. That's why Trump hired him on. The only difference between the two are that Kelly's lies are more considered and thought out than Trump's, who tends to lie off the cuff a lot.
14
Of course, Trump takes responsibilty for exactly nothing. Classic!
13
Everyone will irritate Trump sooner or later because there is no way to appease or please a narcissist.
17
First they came for Priebus, and I said nothing. Then they came for Kelly, and I said nothing.
Then there was nobody of conscience left to work in trump’s swamp, and it was good.
16
Good luck to anyone who needs to keep an extreme present hedonist focused on anything for long.
8
A general who is somehow unaware that domestic violence might be a problem? Our military has been roiled by continued conversations about the treatment of women in their ranks and domestic violence in the households of veterans and troops. Where was Kelly when all this was going on? This was a leader in our modern military?
33
"Mr. Kelly has previously played down accusations against someone he believed served a greater goal. He appeared as a character witness in a 2016 court-martial of a Marine colonel accused of sexually harassing two female subordinates. Mr. Kelly praised the colonel as a “superb Marine officer.”
I'm beginning to see the common thread here, and it is spelled m-i-s-o-g-y-n-y.
33
What fools thought that a political neophyte general would even know enough to do that job? What bigger fools thought he would be able to control an overgrown terrible twos toddler? Reality folks - wishful thinking is pie in the sky.
22
As the old saying goes, the fish smells from the head. Donald does not meet the smell test, and the people he has selected to work in almost every arm of the Executive branch of the government are disabled, under-qualified, and poisonous to the missions they should be fulfilling. They are not promoting the general welfare, and are using or gutting regulations to take the nation in the opposite direction. Dirtier water, more noxious air, less affordable housing, less access to health care, less security for residents, more disrespect for women, greater isolation from former allies. As to Mr. Kelly, who is a symptom, resign.
25
General Kelly seems like a decent man. My question is, do decent men need the job so badly that they are willing to risk their good names and work for this unstable man?
9
There Is zero excuse for a man who has epitomized indecency throughout his tenure.
10
Trump says, "as you probably know, he (Rob Porter) says he is innocent". So, I guess unless there is actual videotape of him abusing his ex-wives, pictures of a black eye he allegedly inflicted on one of those ex-wives does not "trump" the man's denial of any wrongdoing. Oh well, I guess Mr. Porter is simply another of Trump's goons who could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and suffer no consequences.
20
That goon that Trump referred to doing the 5th shooting was none other than His Liar-in-Chief himself!
9
Seriously, the entire Trump roster is, and has been, full of human disasters.
28
Rob Porter was trying to get his ex wife to alter her comments/future answers to the FBI so that he could get his security clearance. He was trying to get her to lie. She would have broken the law if she had lied. What about him and his pals?
What a great guy.
34
Kelly sure lies a lot. Not as much as Trump -- few can match his ability. But Kelly fits right in with this bunch.
36
Setting aside Mr. Kelly for a moment, women of the United States who have been in, or are in, the ugly, dark world of domestic violence, please pay attention to what our so-called President is saying. He is showing us, again, who he is and it’s heartbreaking, again. Domestic violence crosses all socioeconomic, cultural, religious, and sometimes gender lines, and this man seemingly only cares that he’s losing a sycophant.
As for Hope Hicks and her leaping to the defense of Porter — you are so young and have no idea, it would have been you next.
31
Women don't want to be sacred. They want to be respected as equal to men.
94
An ex Marine general supporting a junior accused of sexual misconduct... how perfectly normal, given that the Marines specialize in sexual assault of women in the armed services. welcome to reality. it's time to stop putting these servicemen on a pedestal.
32
One day, there'll be a mini-series about this so-called administration that will rival "I Claudius" in its absurdity, shock value, cruelty, self-absorption, and mind-numbingly clueless characters with far too much power.
35
The Roman Empire comes to mind often these days: Cicero's orations against Cataline could be directed toward many in our dissolute Congress, the lead-poisoned water in Rome as our own environmental protections are gutted, the worship of wealth while others slave and are abused. And the useless, endless wars.
I thought of "I Claudius" most recently when I read of Trump's McDonald's fetish because of fear of poisoning.(I guess it never occurred to the Donald that a steady diet of McDonald's itself equals poison.)
14
That mini-series is playing out daily in the pages of the Times, the Post, and other reality-based news media!
The show, however, was rewritten and reshot for Fox Fake News! Where all the Trump men are above average, women are on a pedestal when they're not being abused behind the scenes, and immigrants and minorities are sweeping the halls and shining shoes, out of sight, but not out mind as they are vilified whenever they can be!
8
D' ya suppose maybe the real problem in the Trump White House is Trump? Yea, maybe?
27
Kelly has shown he is nothing but a reflection of the master he serves. His recent comments underscore a bias and racist tone at non-whites, particularly dreamers and Latinos. His lack in understanding abusive and domestic violence, or in not caring about this, is clear in his support of the serial wife beater working for him. The President himself praises the abuser, while not even mentioning the victims of this man's violence. Then again, it must be hard for someone who has been accused by numerous women of groping and assault to find anything wrong or despicable in this type of behavior. This from the self anointed "champion" of Evangelicals. This man and his crew has no loyalty to religious beliefs, morals, or decency. He is just playing these folks for fools and using them to further his own personal agenda. Yeah, as they say...even the Devil can quote the bible.
22
Trump said he hates everybody in the White House, who he placed there of his own accord. He admitted having few friends, true friends, to which I might add that his obnoxious behavior and bane self-love only shows the truth... he has no friends other than Putin, Tea Partiers, white supremacists, and family. The latter maybe only because of their ties to his money.
14
Kelly was annointed, early on, as "the grown-up," as a moderating, orderly, institutionalist who would bring sanity to a dysfunctional White House.
Why? Why did so many pundits leap to this assumption about him? Where was the evidence that he would be this beneficent force?
Instead, we daily receive more evidence that Kelly may well be effusing his own misogynist, racist, zenophobic gas to the miasma surrounding and emanating from Trump. Certainly,
He is helping the White House poison the atmosphere. He is doing nothing to clean that noxious air we're all having to breath.
18
This White House somehow manages to outdo its own crass levels of ineptitude. As fish rots from the head down, expect more of the same going forward.
8
General Kelly's true colours are showing through and he is not the honourable man people thought he was. Add to this the fact that Donald Trump surrounds himself with the lowest of the low and you come to the old adage, "If you lay down with dogs expect to get fleas'.
The Trump circus must end. Where are you Robert Mueller?
15
Can every misbegotten excuse for a decent human being in this administration just get on a big raft on the Potomac and drift away? Please?
23
Unbelievable! There ! Unbelievable! I find I must use that word again to describe Donald Trump.....Since early morning every news show on TV has talked about all the things Porter has done. Over and over again. And Trump and Kelly find nothing wrong! Unbelievable! I do hope Kelly has another job lined up....he will soon be out of work. And deservedly so.......unbeleiveable.....
15
Kelly, the man who was supposed to bring civility and decorum to the White House is nothing more than an enabler. We had our first hint of this during a Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony in New London, Connecticut back in May of 2017 where Trump was presented with a ceremonial sword. When Trump sat down next to Kelly, then DHS secretary, Kelly was heard to say, "you can use that on the press, sir".
The fact the a man serves in the military does not make him a gentleman or an honorable human being. He has shown, on numerous occasions, that he is cut from the same cloth as the man he works for. He will not apologize for anything he has said or done. He makes not attempt to alter the infantile behavior of his Commander and Chief.
This latest incident should surprise no one. Kelly plays fast and lose with the truth. His ethics are questionable. He may be a leader in battle, but is failing to meet the standards of decency of society.
Claiming that he didn't know about Porter's record could indicate one of two things, and neither is good. He is lying or he truly didn't know. If he is lying than he should say so and resign. If he didn't know than he failed to do his job and should resign.
There is the third thing. He was willing to overlook Porter's violent, misogynistic transgressions because of his Harvard background and past achievements. The end result is the same and shameful. He should resign.
31
Excellent, thoughtful, well written comment.
Must reading for the Fox Fake News watchers, I mean, reactionaries!
5
It really doesn't matter. Really, nothing matters. Trump's approval rating just keeps improving regardless of what he or his minions do or say. The American people either do not care or they are getting enough of what they want that everything else is just noise.
Trump can replace Kelly if he wishes. Again, IT DOESN'T MATTER. The replacement might appear to be better in the short run but he won't be because no one with an ounce of sense would put himself in that position. (Don't take the use of the male pronoun wrong. It's the reality of all of Trump's personnel choices.)
5
I am of the same age and grew up just a few parishes away from General Kelly. Initially I had the highest hopes that he would be the voice of sanity in this White House; that hope was totally dashed when he slandered and then refused to acknowledge his lies about the Congresswoman a few months ago.
He gave a speech around that time where he spoke of treating women with respect. That brought me right back to our shared cultural landscape, where if you were fortunate enough to live in a family and extended family like my own, women were indeed treated with the utmost respect. In the background, however, were the families that no one spoke much about, where single mothers were struggling to raise their children. Sometimes the fathers would reappear for a time, there would be another baby, and then he would be gone again. Years later, I wound up in the same workplace with the oldest child of one of these families, who shared with me how his father had brutalized his mother and the whole family, He was the first person I had met who expressed hatred for a parent, and it stunned me.
This is what I thought of when I heard Kelly's remarks about respect for women: as long as you don't talk about and acknowledge the brutal men and the battered women, they don't exist.
22
John Kelly is completely unreliable as a character reference. The NY Times stated that:
He appeared as a character witness in a 2016 court-martial of a Marine colonel accused of sexually harassing two female subordinates. Mr. Kelly praised the colonel as a “superb Marine officer.”
It turns out that this Marine colonel is T. Shane Tomko.
http://usmclife.com/2016/03/marine-corps-charges-former-wounded-warrior-...
Tomko was convicted of those charges. The USMC preferred to push him out the door after he did 50 days in the brig and paid a $10,000 fine.
On November 21, 2017, Tomko was hit with additional charges, namely seven felony charges issued by police in Virginia Beach, Va. According to court documents, the colonel allegedly abused three children over the past 15 years. We don't have the names, but a source close to the investigation tell us the "victims" are family members.
The charges include three counts of aggravated sexual battery, three more of taking indecent liberties, and one of cruelty to children.
http://www.militarycorruption.com/tomko2.htm
https://taskandpurpose.com/shane-tomko-marine-abuse/
That is who John Kelly considers a “superb Marine officer.” Gimme a break.
50
Thank you so much for this verification information Joe. The USMC has such a problem with violence to women, and Kelly came from this culture. If he doesn’t leave office, we will see more of the same.
11
Thank you very much for sharing this information.
5
Not every male Marine is a person who is violent toward women.
My son is a Marine. I have heard specifically from his wife (unsolicited) about instances where he has gone out of his way to be respectful to her, and to others.
His mother gets the credit, of course. She has put up with me of over 50 years of marrige.
Had wondered why you'd taken such a deliberate - daresay Mueller-esque - approach to this story...
Broke in the UK tabloids three days ago...
Then - and forgive the cynicism - realized you all wanted to see how far up the chain of command you could take this...
Perhaps Mueller could demand an interview with Kelly, Trump - or one with each...
Leadoff question:
"When did you first learn that Rob Porter hadn't stopped beating his wives?"
For any who fail to see the irony in totalitarian journalism...
http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2011/09/19/when-did-you-stop-beating-your...
PS
Instead of focusing on when Trump or Kelly (or Hicks?) learned of this behavior - perhaps ask when (and from whom) Porter learned this behavior...
Or - learned that it was OK, for someone like him...
After all, he could apparently produce realities as intriguing and compelling as the movies Weinstein produced...
4
When it comes to national security, what is the difference between using a private e-mail server or employing a person as a top aide without a security clearance?
31
EZ answer! It depends which side of the aisle you're on!
9
The culture of lying and covering is deeply entrenched in the White House.
The leader of our country the most blatant and obvious liar, sets the tone for everyone around him. There are many great heights men can attain. These men are at the lowest end of that spectrum. Integrity, honestly and truthfulness mean nothing to them. It's sad sight.
20
Somehow I don't feel sad for John Kelly. "When you lie down with dogs..." is an adage that anyone who considers working for Donald Trump should repeat repeat hourly.
15
Loyalty to the president, not integrity and common decency toward others seem to be guiding principle of this White House. We are never going to know when we've hit rock bottom with this administration.
16
John Kelly is living confirmation about the absolute wisdom of John F Kennedy's observation after the Bay of Pigs disaster when he said the experience had taught him that "Generals should be kept on tap, Not on top!"
It would be difficult to imagine a more tone-deaf person than Kelly when it comes to reading the atmosphere and reality of functioning in a political position as opposed to a military one. He is certainly no Colin Powell! Of course, if he had a shred of political savvy he never would have accepted a position working for the most incompetent, unqualified, reckless, and dangerous buffoon ever to hold the office of president. Time for them both to go!
29
"He (Kelly) engaged in a heated back-and-forth with an African-American Democratic congresswoman, distorting statements she had made..." John Kelly didn't just distort her statements, he lied. And there is no way the FBI didn't inform his last year about Rob Porter's domestic abuse record with his former wives. Kelly lied again to protect Porter. Of course, lying in the Trump White House is just the norm.
27
Kelly and Porter can go cry in their beers together.
9
The headline have a nice shine to it, but unfortunately, it doesn't reveal any surprising or previously unknown flaws about this Kelly dude. I have yet to hear anything decent this man has ever said or done ever since he came to defile our front pages!
15
“Omarosa was fired three times on ‘The Apprentice,’ and this is the fourth time we let her go,”
Good news, America; your president and his administration think this is all a TV show! They're probably wondering when they will get the script for North Korea part 2.
17
Thanks Everyman,
I knew if I scrolled down long enough I'd find someone who had said what I was about to. I'm with you. The Trump Whathouse has as much veracity as any TV "Reality Show."
I have always been puzzled by the easy assumption that a man who has chosen to spend his entire adult life in at (literally) most regimented of environments, the USMC, would somehow be a force for moderation and compromise.
You don't become a full general in any of the Services of the US Military by negotiating or compromising and even less so by picking fights with the higher levels in your chain of command. John Kelly is an intelligent and resourceful man who has thrived in a highly competitive ecosystem, he has shown loyalty to the values of the Corps and to his political masters (you need Senate confirmation to advance to Lieutenant General and beyond) and has been entrusted with great responsibilities. He is, in other words, someone the powers that be know they can trust. In parallel, he has formed his character in a situation where rank matters. And rank implies obedience.
So, John Kelly was never the one who would draw a line he wouldn't let the President cross. Not regarding the latter's language, his behavior or any other aspect of his personality. By the way, this applies equally well to James Mattis or H.R. McMaster. Wherever did you get this idea?
8
Do the values of the Marine Corps include lying, bigotry and misogyny?
6
"But Mr. Kelly’s long service to his country as a Marine did not necessarily prepare him for the job of White House chief of staff." We need to stop pretending that being in the military is always a resume booster. To be blunt: you learn over and over about how to obey orders in the military; independent judgment and questioning the authority are not on the menu. To say that a general is more likely to stand up for core principles of this country either in the face of moral ambiguity or constitutional crisis is naively dangerous.
13
Good-bye government by professionals with a sense of national purpose
Hello government by courtiers.
I hope we survive it.
18
The crazy idea that success in one field means you'll be good in another has been discredited for ages. Still, people assume competence is totally a matter of the individual concerned instead of a mixture of that and the environment in which one works.
Kelly reminds me of the legendary Dutch boy trying to hold back the sea and keep the dike from failing. Maybe. For a while. Eventually, however, when circumstances conspire, failure is inevitable.
4
Your first observation is so spot on!
Kelly needs to go. Now. It doesn't matter if he's "human" or not, to use Sen. Kennedy's word, this human knowingly allowed a person without clearance handle classified information. Kelly knowingly expressed openly racist comments on several occasions and refused to back off of them. I'd point out that Klansmen are human too, but it doesn't mean they should hold one of the most powerful posts in the nation.
19
Dear General Kelly,
This is not the way to end an illustrious career. Had you considered this distinct possibility when you joined the Trump administration?
14
Telling that this White House conflates firing a Executive branch staffer with “firing” a contestant on a reality television show. Do they even know the difference?
27
It's astounding. This article clearly highlights in the last two paragraphs that the Republicans and White House take the view that being a "good man" and doing "an extraordinary job" can outweigh "bad decisions". They just don't get it. These people are doing things that should warrant termination on the spot. What is especially galling is that they would like everyone to believe that they are the paragons of moral righteousness and family values. But then again they would also like everyone to believe they are the true believers of fiscal discipline. What both the Republicans and this White House are demonstrating by their actions that they are liars and deceivers of the lowest moral caliber and ethics in our current political climate, bar none. The big question is if and when their own disciples will be able to see the truth for themselves, or are they as perverted as their leaders?
18
John Kelly has revealed himself—repeatedly—to be lying, bigoted, misogynistic and rude. His judgement is poor, and by this time there's no question that he is not competent nor sufficiently 'aware' to remain in his job. This latest episode is egregious—Kelly prefers to stand up for absuive men and denigrate dreamers, congresswomen, and good people of conscience. Time to return to South Boston with your 'sacred,' outdated views, General Kelly. Do the honorable thing—as one imagines you'd want to—and resign.
28
Can we place bets??? How much longer until Kelly hears " You're Fired"?
Who will replace him??? Gary Busey, or Meatloaf????
12
Another "general" from Trump's administration
Kelly was waiting for Hope Hick to come in one morning with a black eye before he make his move.
9
Paging Mr Mueller ?
Paging Mr Mueller?
14
Kelly has continually disgraced himself and the uniform he once wore. Every act and utterance since he got to the White hOuse has demonstrated that he is little more than a boorish sexist racist ethnic bigot. A real empty barrel.
26
Kelly and Hicks must go.
Next?
20
Next? Tяump!
1
Goes to show that a uniform is only clothing... it doesn't confer sainthood. Kelly's as venal as the rest of them.
19
When General Kelly came on board with the Trump administration, I was actually worried that he would put lipstick on this pig and fool Americans into thinking that Trump could successfully govern. It hasn't taken much time for that to wear off. All it takes is a couple of controversies and a big gust of wind, and we see more glimpses of the real Trump. And it isn't pretty.
24
And more glimpses of the real General Kelly who was already showing his white nationalism bent in the dept of homeland security where he began in this administration. Lipstick all around.
10
When Kelly liked about Congresswoman Wilson (a black woman) and in the face of video that rebutted his lies failed to apologize or retract, I knew just about all I needed to know about him.
He is an old white man, who expects people to do as he says, regardless of evidence or logic. He doesn't care much for blacks (complimenting the confederacy), or hispanics (calling DACA eligible kids lazy for not signing up for DACA) or women (using the old women used to be sacred - which is code for women used to know their place). As a result, he actually fits right in with Trump pretty well. That he would continue to employ a known wife beater doesn't surprise me in the least. Having Rob Porter handling classified material without a proper clearance is criminal though and Kelly and Trump should answer for that criminality. Remember Trump chanting lock her up over Hillary's emails, well this is way worse.
248
Just think how the Russians could have compromised Porter with his lack of proper clearance and the skeletons in his closet.
15
RE "handling classified information without a proper clearance" your statement is incorrect. Porter held an interim TS. It's common for people to work with interim clearances until a final clearance is granted. I have seen people operate with interim clearances for amost two years. In fact, as a young man I worked for an IC agency with interim TS/SCI access for 14 months.
I keep falling for the distractions, with the Kelly drama dominating my attention today. And then I realize that Kelly drama is GOOD for Trump because it distracts us from THE issue which truly threatens our democracy: Russian interference in our electoral process.
Did Tump coordinate with Russia to threaten our democracy?
If we're talking about Kelly, or Omarosa, or comb-overs blowing in the wind, it mean we're not focusing on the real issue.
16
But, I don't think Mueller is the least bit distracted.
8
I've had it with hearing people talk about what a tough job this is and so-and-so was unprepared and whatever other excuse is put forward when people come under scrutiny. They can all do the jobs they've been asked to do.
It's the intense mental discipline required to conceal bigotry, racism, and self-interest, keep all of the lies coordinated, and pretend to care about all Americans - including brown-skinned people, women, and immigrants - that trips these people up.
18
Still, it's kind of fun -- a sport these days if you will -- to watch Trump throw his enablers under the bus. No one is safe! Kelly -- I think I hear your name being called.
17
GOP : instead of trying to find the right "adult" to manage a president, how about finding the "right" president from the get go. Untold long term damage being done, day by day.
41
COS General Kelly deserves all the scrutiny and condemnation he's getting at the moment. It is the latest in a series of questionable and/or vindictive comments and policy maneuvers he's directed in the past few months. I, for one, think he is instrumental in blocking a DACA agreement as much as Stephen Miller is. But let's also spare a little attention for the always mind-boggling Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Better person for having known Porter? I guess it's all relative.
17
Kelly is a throwback to the 50s...but so is this administration. I would ask when republicans stopped being the party of family values, but I don't believe they truly ever were. Shame on all of them.
21
I have never understood the adoration of Generals by the media, but then I spent 4 years in the Marines and a year in Vietnam, where the Generals told us we were on the verge of Victory, for ten years. After Vietnam most people realized the politicians of both Parties and the Generals had lied about everything.
Now we are in two plus wars that have been going on for 15 years and the politicians of both Parties and the Generals have been lying about everything. and after all this, the media still genuflects to every General brought in to "Straighten things out".
With his actions and words Mr. Kelly has shown exactly what sort of person he is. He is just another lackey working for Trump.
21
There is good reason why we separate the civilian from the military in our country, and John Kelly personifies those reasons.
8
Regarding the culture of misogyny comment by Rep. Velazquez of NY: All you have to do is look no further than #PresBonesSpurs Super Bowl party in Palm Beach where he eyed with a predator's salivary glance down the line of college cheerleaders shipped in to welcome guests into his house. Trump is a deeply cheesy guy, with low moral values, a guy who loves "locker room" talk and worse. Is it truly any surprise to anyone that the team he would thus create reflect his same values? After all, he need enablers and he needs people who will put up with his language and discourse. And finally on Kelly. Let's put an end to all this hero worshipping of military generals. Just because you are a Marine general does not mean that you have good moral character. It means that he was successful in leading men and women in a military setting. Nothing more. There are countless generals throughout the history of the world, and certainly American history, that were not "good people". And Hope Hicks, only one line of advice she should've take from anyone: don't eat the lettuce from near the rabbit hole. And certainly, not twice.
6
To borrow a line from the film 'Darkest Hour'.. Gary Oldman portraying Winston Churchill...
"You cannot reason with a tiger, when your head is in it's mouth!!"
3
Great movie.
Kelly's had his position for 6 months. That's probably a record for a high Trump official.
7
It has been said, that this individual was once thought of as one who was to be admired, and worthy of great respect. .
Maybe it is the disease of Trump, but that he is no longer. .
10
From the man who constantly talked about "extreme vetting" we now know that the only real vetting when it comes to the highest level positions in The White House is being done by the media. From Michael Flynn to Rob Portman the willful deceit in putting "compromised" people in sensitive positions is beyond disgraceful and borders on criminality in putting our national security at risk. All this also from the man who campaigned by calling out his opponent on this issue as "crooked" and led chants of "Lock her up." Well, there is truth to the saying, "What goes around comes around."
200
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.” (Alexander Pope)
Neither of which is accepted Marine Corps doctrine
3
Our American idiocracy at work.
14
Liberals tend to rush to judgment when it comes to sexual crimes. And here they condemn John Kelly when he didn't rush to judgment in firing an employee who was accused of sexual assault.
But in most areas of government, waiting to make sure that one has all the facts is desirable. In this one area, John Kelly made a mistake. But on the whole he has restrained a president who undercuts his own goals by rushing to judgment on virtually everything. Then changing his mind.
The NY Times seems to be slanted in favor of more reporting of salacious sex stories and less of the news actually needed to be intelligent voters in a democracy.
For example, there is an article in todays NY Times which hold up manly jobs for ridicule. There are few women in construction jobs for example. This might be because men are generally stronger, an issue the writer doesn't discuss.
This together with constant emphasis on the MeToo movement suggests that the NY Times is slanted against men and will drive men, particularly poor white men to vote for Trump.
Consider for example, Obamas response to the Great Recession. It was heavily weighted towards mothers with children, and very little was earmarked for construction, a male-dominated job.
So China has put its men to work building 12,000 miles of high speed electric rail. The US has zero miles.
China has skyscrapers in Shanghai that dwarf the skyline of Manhattan.
And China will soon surpass the US in GDP.
Perhaps we should honor men.
1
he is chief of staff he had to wonder why porter couldnt get his security clearance and to turn this to a conversation about not " honoring men" is a joke
6
Many liberals here are judging Porter unqualified because he didn't have a security clearance. You know, he was a security risk, like Clinton and her email server that Republicans investigated at great length and still can't keep quiet about. Old white men will be replaced by robots. Dress the robots up in expensive suits and nobody will even notice.
7
Punching someone in the face is assault, plain and simple, sex has nothing to do with it. Violence against another person is morally wrong and it's illegal.
Politics has nothing to do with it, it's a matter of being a moral, law abiding citizen. Then again I suppose this is something Republican have given up on.
3
As outrage grew over a photograph showing an ex-wife of Mr. Porter with a black eye, Mr. Kelly issued a new statement. “I was shocked by the new allegations released today against Rob Porter,” he said. “There is no place for domestic violence in our society.” But he added: “I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”
Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in our society.” But abhorrent behavior without a place in our society does not mean a man is not "a man of true integrity and honor"
3
It doesn't matter who you are or your background. The moment you agree to work under this corrupt billionaire you become part of him and shows that there must be some flaw in your own character.
19
Now the President has spoken - to remind us that Porter claims he's innocent -- AND to try to fix blame on Hope Hicks for her bad judgment in handling the Porter secret. Not on Kelly. Not a word about the victims.
Misogyny much? The disdain for women and minorities is streaming from the top.
148
"Mr. Shah dismissed her comments. “Omarosa was fired three times on ‘The Apprentice,’ and this is the fourth time we let her go," he said."
So the WH appears to not draw the line or know the difference between "reality show" and "reality". Which is one of the many problems of this so-called administration, and one of the more telling ones.
Kelly needs to be fired or resign immediately.
16
So John Kelly was supposed to be the best thing Trump had going for staff. So much for that. The servants with titles around Trump now look pretty much as chaotic, out of touch, incompetent and toxic as what he started with. Kelly is in the garbage can as far as his reputation goes. He mangled the handling of a Gold Star family deep in the throes of grief; he has insulted DACA recipients and immigrants in general; he has supported a wife beater and of course there is more. He fits right in with the Trump administration and is not
the voice of reason or uprightness that he was purported to be. Retirement is his best option, he can sit around and gripe about anyone who doesn't look like him with his buds.
12
Trump's hubris has rubbed off on Kelly: that must explain the latter's increasingly unguarded expressions--like his crack about lazy dreamers. Unfortunate--especially in contrast with his little sermon about the good old days when women were sacred and honored. There are too many men in this white house, perhaps?
4
So whatever happened to Porter's girlfriend of 3 years who reported similar abuse?
Why wouldn't the FBI interview the person Porter was living with as part of their background checks. Can someone refuse an FBI interview?
Reports now say this same girlfriend reported her abuse to the WH Counsel Don McGhan back in December, 2017. McGhan sat on it despite knowing for over a year about the ex-wives report of Porter's abuse.
Helloooo, GOP Leaders! Wake up!
Your Party of "Family Values" has lost all their values and is rapidly shedding families!
10
Nothing special about John Kelly in this crowd. While the precious base still howls about Hillary's emails, wife-beaters and Russian spymasters waltz around the Oval Office taking in top secret intelligence. Well, at least somebody pays attention to that.
6
There is a serious lack of short term memory going on in this country. Kelly's despicable comment about Congresswoman Wilson being an "empty barrel", which he repeated several times, was so outrageous and racist, and now it is forgotten. How is this man respectable? Just because he wore a uniform?
13
Ooh how the patriarchy praised a tainted known bigoted general who subjected violated and abused soldiers complaints to a slow, often unrecognized step toward justice. Now exposed as a bigot in numerous ways; incapable of tempering a mentally unstable and incompetent president, the light shines again on a nation that coddles men in power, but never their victims.
5
I had hopes for Kelly. What a poor judge of people I am.
9
Like attracts like and in Trump's case, trash begets trash. There just isn't any other way to describe it. Politicians have been a slimy bunch for a long time but we've reached the bottom and they are digging in.
4
And where is the Bone Spurs Cadet this morning on this story?
Probably watching the DJI (Dow Jones) and telling himself that eveything is peachy...
2
He's trying to figure out who to blame about the stock market's dip.
2
You proclaim that Trump called Priebus, but Priebus says that isn't so. Unnamed sources insist it is. Somebody is lying. In the end, how is this news? Especially with conflicting stories, this never should have seen the light of day. C'mon, people, get your act together and do REAL journalism.
2
Once again, anyone who works for Trump, indeed anyone who remains in a room with him any longer than it takes to spit on the floor and find the nearest exit does not deserve any respect.
9
Kelly did not “distort statements”. He full on LIED. He made up his story about the Florida congresswoman from whole cloth. Video taken at the time completely vindicated her and confirmed Kelly’s utter unsuitability for a position that demands the highest ethical stance. The guy lacks all integrity and has revealed his true nature: angry, bigoted, untrustworthy. What I don’t understand is how Kelly ever convinced anyone that he had the moral compass to work in the White House. What a disgrace, and typical of the flailing trump administration.
15
Does anybody in this White House have any judgment at all? Ms. Hicks was dating a man whom they all knew had choked and hit his ex-wives? Mr. Trump is calling the former chief of staff whom he fired, in order to complain about the present chief of staff? Mr. Kelly was not aware that Americans would not be happy with a man who had physically abused his wives?
Mr. Kelly who has become known for his racist tirades and racist version of history will now also be known for his terrible judgment in hiring and defending a man who abused his wife and was a significant national security risk. What in the world happened to the military man who would be competent and staunchly decent?
Upside-down. Amateur. Dysfunctional. Incompetent. Ignorant. Sec. Clinton was right.
11
I guess Kelly like Trump and his wall "wasn't fully informed" This give us insight into how dumb they think we are.The FBI has been looking into this guys background for over a year for a security clearance, and we are to believe they never talked to Kelly about it
8
Any "benefit" derived by Kelly's presence succeeds only in covering up (unsuccessfully) the reality of the morally debased, awful swirl of racism, misogyny, prejudice, lies, disdain for others, lack of empathy and hypocrisy, war mongering that is the swirling swill making up the present White House.
8
How can John Kelly protest domestic violence with a straight face when he works for a man who admitted on the record that he likes to grab women by their genitals? Who cheated on his current wife while she was pregnant with their son? I keep waiting for Rod Serling to show up and narrate this ridiculous Emperor's New Clothes 2.0.
16
Looks like being close to power provides such a strong high, that these wannabe petty dictators will say and do anything to maintain the euphoria.
12
Name one single Trump appointee who is thoroughly competent, ethical, compassionate, honest, and human.
31
To John Kelly, assault can be ignored if someone can get the job done.
This quote and the Porter incident say it all. Family values, indeed.
'He appeared as a character witness in a 2016 court-martial of a Marine colonel accused of sexually harassing two female subordinates. Mr. Kelly praised the colonel as a “superb Marine officer.”'
13
Kelly's done. His latest misstep has given someone a reason to whisper in Daddy's ear about Kelly being a bully in preventing unfettered access to Trump by family members. Hope Hicks is next. Too much competition.
6
Whatever complaints one may have about John Kelly (and there is plenty to complain about), be careful what you wish for. The question you need to ask yourself is will this country, under President Trump, be better off with John Kelly in the White House, or without John Kelly in the White House?
3
Is it still inappropriate to question a 4 star General?
- one of many questions I'd love to ask Sara Sanders
21
John Kelly didn't get promoted to general because he has more honor and integrity than the next guy. He's made it abundantly clear what lies in his heart, and each day he's spent in the Trump administration has clarified what type of man he truly is.
11
Kelly is like the character in a Viennese operetta, the factotum of the crown prince or hoheit who flatters. lies, and schemes to keep the prince happy and then takes out his frustration on his own aide. The character in the operetta can be funny and the tunes are generally good. Sadly the Tales from the Oval Office are frightening and the show is a dismal flop.
Kelly seemed to lose his poise and stature following the Rep. Wilson fiasco. When he read statements regarding Wilson thinking they were correct he was betrayed and embarrassed nationwide. Reading talking points right out of the Russian bot-sphere! He was walked out on a plank and never recovered, bitter and guarded ever since. They own him now.
12
Is it just me, or is Kelly starting to look more and more like an increasingly menacing combination of H.R. Haldeman and Alexander Haig waiting for his "I'm in charge now" moment?
Why this man is admired so much is beyond me. Every time he opens his mouth he shoves at least one foot into it and his personal beliefs are mired in the 1950's and the McCarthy era. Someone disagrees with him or his boss and he personally attacks them while ignoring the issue, a hallmark of this administration. Feel sorry for him? Hardly.
23
Spousal abuse always needs to be taken seriously. Look at the data on how many women are killed by exs, a number of them who had filed protective orders.
Not sure why Mr. Porter lack of security clearance did not set off alarms in this White House? Who else didn't get cleared - at one time I thought that Jared did not have it, did he finally get cleared?
8
No, he did not.
No sympathy whatsoever for John Kelly. To use the President's language, "he knew what he signed up for."
19
it's easy to see why the con man in chief would be angered by "...aides who attract negative media attention that spills onto him...". He does a "tremendous" job of that all by himself. And why would Priebus even talk to him? Ughh....
3
Quote: "Mr. Kelly had changed with his association with Mr. Trump and grown too insulated in the White House bubble"
*
So......there's the Republican Party bubble of lies and misdirection, and then there's a White House bubble within the bigger bubble.
*
For example, in 2012 a one billion dollar deficit was bad. Today a bigger deficit is good. Another example is the repeated lie by Paul Ryan that there were huge loopholes in the tax code which, when closed, would reduce or eliminate the deficit. Really?
*
"Reality TV" is more real than this mess. The saddest part is that ordinary voters out there believe the lies, and actually believe that this mess is "making America great again". Go figure.
5
Trump’s daily inconsistencies are right out of Putin’s East German playbook. The practice of repression in “Zersetzung”comprised extensive and secret methods of control and psychological manipulation. The Stasi relied on this method of “operational psychology”. Using targeted psychological attacks the Stasi tried to deprive a dissident of any chance of a "hostile action". Putin’s KGB comrades called him “the moth”, as he was an expert at slowly eating away at his targeted enemies sanity and self assertiveness, rendering them ineffective.
6
Kelly was brought in to take orders and be "loyal" period.
He has no other function
6
Who is lazy, Mr. Kelly? A man who does little besides watch t.v. all day, eats, sleeps, plays golf, telephones his friends and spends long periods gabbing on the phone, of course doesn't do a lick of work -- not even reading material that it's part of his job to read-- or, say, *anyone* else in America?
17
This is not hard. John Kelly has simply proved that he is in over his head in this job and I am one of those who was rooting for him to succeed. We Americans cherish this odd notion that being in the armed services instantly confers skill sets that can be applied to a wide ranges of jobs. A nice sentiment but sometimes untrue. Kelly is a good example of this. A fine military man, perhaps; a competent politician, not so much.
90
I saw it all the time with military folks coming into private industry. They were great at giving orders, not so great at inspiring cooperation.
5
Trump is like the flesh-eating disease. It doesn't care what part of the body it eats away, it totally destroys everything.
In Trump's case, he doesn't care who he fights with when they don't agree with him, or bother him in some way. He'll just denigrate them, or send some scourge under his command to do the dirty work, eventually ridding that person from working under him.
10
I am certain that Hope Hicks feels relief knowing that General Kelly had her back prior to her becoming, perhaps, the third in line for Port's abusive ways. A General unused to having his statements questioned is most likely ill-suited for this job.
7
Hicks would have been at least the fourth since in addition to two abused wives, Porter had a girlfriend for three years who complained of demeaning treatment.
The problem is at the very top. President Trump is not a competent manager, has no understanding of the job and only a superficial grasp of the issues. What qualified, self-respecting person would want to work for him when he is likely to turn on members of his staff at any moment? If he replaces General Kelly, he will be complaining about the replacement within months or even weeks.
154
Mr. Trump has no leadership abilities.
He is a showman turned emperor. Of course, the emperor has no clothes.
Mr. Kelley apparently hasn't learned the obvious lesson that in the White House only Donald Trump is allowed to make highly offensive remarks and to disregard the norms and practices and dignity that surround the Presidency.
9
It should be enough to understand Trump believes in Kelly and has confidence in him--like that the President can be sure Kelly won't divulge his own secrets either...what a White House.
"Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly’s lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived."
You don't have to be "attuned" to know punching your wife in the face is wrong.
19
Best comment of the day. Thank you.
3
I like the statement that "Trump has confidence" in Kelly and supports him...like that the President can trust him to keep secrets for him too...Kelly The Secret-Keeper.
We are now seeing what the Trump/Kelly nexus has always been about: Ego.
1) For Kelly, it gave him the ego relief that he could order around civilians that once ordered him around.
2) For Trump, it gives his ego the false flag of intimidation that he feels legitimizes and portrays him as the strong leader he never was.
6
I am not a supporter of General Kelly. Moreover, I don't comprehend Trump's fascination with generals. This fetish must be the result of his stint at the NY Military Academy when he was a student/cadet. Had it not been for his incorrigibility, his parents probably would have left him in a regular school, but my recollection is that only the most misbehaved youngsters wound up in military academies. I think that it's the same today as most young people simply don't aspire to careers in the military.
The Rob Porter affair is proof that the general can't be trusted to do the right thing. I'm of the opinion that he knew full well that Mr. Porter had a violent streak, and there was no way that he would pass a background check for his high level security clearance. Domestic abuse arrests would disqualify such an applicant as it should. We don't need someone working alongside the POTUS in the white house, with access to top secret information, that has even the slightest chance of being compromised.
Kelly has to go.
10
We are now seeing what the Trump/Kelly nexus has always been about: Ego.
1) For Kelly, it gave him the ego relief that he could order around civilians that once ordered him around.
2) For Trump, it gives his ego the false flag of intimidation that he feels legitimizes and portrays him as the strong leader he never was.
2
No one respects Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman more than I but the words they have chosen to represent what occurred between Gen. Kelly and Representative Frederica S. Wilson are deeply worrying. They describe a "heated back and forth"and say Kelly uttered "distorting" statements about the black congresswoman. No, Peter and Maggie, Kelly did not distort, he flat out lied. Further, in the face of incontrovertible evidence that he had done just that he continued to maintain his lie. And, true to Trump form, Kelly never apologized. Not to this day. Are Baker and Haberman beginning to lose their reportorial clarity to appease the Trump Whitehouse? That would be disastrous for us all.
11
Many colleagues of John Kelly that served along side him in the military, when asked, stated unanimously, "this is not the same man now that we served with, he has changed considerably and not for the better".
Clearly, "Trump fever" has infected him as well.
3
When will we stop being surprised and start taking action?
4
Mr. Kelly, a man who tolerates and promotes an abuser of women does not belong in the Whitehouse. He has shown very clearly how morally bankrupt he is. Where does Mr. Kelly stop at moral bankruptcy? Certainly he should not be advising in matters of international importance. That calls for strength of character which Mr. Kelly demonstrates he does not have.
2
Never fear. Kelly knows from direct experience that a public racist or sexist comment or pumping up a Trump lie will place him back in good graces with his boss. If he adds a war threat or salutes, so much the better.
Besides, there is an entirely new ballgame with spreading DoD budget to Republican donors and influence buyers, and Kelly has the knowledge and means to assist.
1
Kelly wants our country to enforce its immigration laws. Members of the media who disagree with our laws, and who advocate on behalf of the undocumented would like to see Kelly dismissed. These reporters and members of editorial boards may be quicker to criticize Kelly than they would be to criticize someone who wanted the undocumented to be given legal status.
I heard a Democrat describe Rob Porter as such a mild mannered man that he said it was understandable that Kelly and others in the White House would have had trouble reconciling Porter's demeanor with the allegation that he had hit his wives. Now, this Democrat's understanding of the situation has disappeared. Now everyone is jumping on Kelly for not recognizing Porter as an abuser from the beginning.
The media is expecting more from Kelly than they would expect from other people, especially since they would like Kelly, with his stance on illegal immigration, to be shown the door.
We have laws against assaulting people as well. I'm not sure how you missed that.
1
What I am suggesting is that it is hard for most people to accept the idea that someone with whom he or she works, on an almost daily basis, and who consistently comes across as mild mannered, could be going home and hitting his or her spouse.
Our country has never put a spotlight on spousal abuse. Perhaps the media (including television sit coms) could explain/ illustrate to the general public that even seemingly mild-mannered people can become abusive, and what to do about it. Our schools have already started teaching about bullying.
Kelly is used to saying lies and have no opposition. He is a master at lying. Even caught he makes no apology. Trump,Kelly and their merry band have strong support in Sarah Huckabee.
3
General Kelly is actually General Disappointment.
4
Trump's best of the best people.
1
Does anyone think that the kind of people who wield real power in this country really care for socially acceptable norms of behavior? Do you think wife abuse bothers the officials planning to remove access to healthcare for millions or defunding social safety nets in order to give tax cuts to billionaires?
This is a bipartisan observation. Those in prior administrations who sanctioned drone execution of thousands of innocent civilians or ignored the opioid crisis or threw free money at banks who wrecked the global economy are just as sociopathic as their successors.
1
Career military should never be allowed to serve in civili an government. They are unfit by training and temperament.
7
Kelly has used his military background to cloak his sleazy persona for far too long. We have heard repeatedly about his perfect military career and have seen him repeatedly exploit his son's death. His refusal to apologize for lying about Rep. Wilson, and now shielding a domestic abuser show exactly who he is. He is a man of poor quality (like Trump) and he needs to go NOW.
5
General Kelly, I know that you have been very busy and its hard to keep up with the many changes in our society. Here is a basic definition of Integrity, which is the word you used to described Rob Porter who stands accused of being a serial wife beater.
"Integrity means following moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching you. Having integrity means you are true to yourself and would do nothing that demeans or dishonors you."
At no time would smacking your wife, or any woman, be considered "doing the right thing". On the other hand, refraining from ever hitting a woman would mean that you were working your way towards being a man of integrity. There would be many more factors, such as honesty, selflessness, courage etc. etc. The not hitting your spouse would only be a start.
1
If the FBI denied Porter a security clearance a year ago, was Porter kept on because they did not trust the FBI? Who else is going to do security clearance investigations? Surprisingly, one of the ex-wives stated that the uncontrollable anger was strictly limited to inside the marriage, and that Porter was such a talented, honest and patriotic man that the country would be better off with him continuing in the Whitehouse. Definitely more complicated than it appears on the surface. Still, if the security clearance is denied, the employment ends. That's how it was when I worked for Lockheed and this should be no different.
82
There's nothing complicated about it. Assaulting someone is wrong and criminal and no one who has committed that kind of crime should be serving in our government, especially at such a high level. Lying to cover it up is wrong.
Morals and ethics aside, how did you miss the potential security threat in this situation?
5
John, The FBI did not deny him a security clearance and is not in a position to do so. The FBI is an investigate body and not an adjudicative agency. The FBI would submit its findings to the White House Personnel office and they would make the decision. FYI, allegations of abuse by an ex-wife of spousal abuse are not automatically disqualifying. Mr. Porter is given an opportunity to refute the allegations and provide his own narrative. Absence a police report or two and/or a DV conviction I would say Porter stood a 7/10 chance of getting his clearance. Me thinks someone knew this and leaked it to circumvent this process and get him canned..maybe rightfully so.
As long as you are honest and demonstrate "mitigating factors" like going to counseling, not drinking anymore, etc you can normally get a clearance absent multiple misdemeanor charges or a single felony.
Millions of people have Top Secret clearances and few of them are perfect with zero LE contact.
He sounds like a Marine, and an officer, and not someone who had to pay a lot of attention to a wider range of issues. especially "women's" issues. He is also not unlike a lot of men in higher positions - including in corporate life -who will dismiss a woman's complaint out of hand, while being loyal to men who have served them well. ( Domestic abuse is not all so rare at any level: it is only unusual to have the details reach the public).
Maybe Sen Kennedy of LA is right - that he's a decent man who has made mistakes. I worry about who the President would appoint to take his place: the essential problem is in the Oval office.
As for firing Omarosa, for pete's sake, her situation is not related to the Porter situation. Why quote this publicity hog? Who cares? How did you get sucked in?
1
There's an old saying about lying down with dogs and waking up with fleas. Not sure why that popped into my head just now...
4
I laughed out loud when many people were lauding Mr. Kelly as being a calm head in The Con Don's cartel.
There is not one person of honor - or who really cares about OUR United States of America - in the cartel. They want only to destroy OUR country and OUR lives for some ancient feud for their personal wealth and glory.
That is what HIStory is. Death and destruction - rape-pillage-plunder - for personal power. They have no social conscience or moral compass. They are demented with insatiable greed. Just like Hitler, Attila the Hun and every other despot who tried to destroy the world.
This Must Not Stand. Not in OUR United States of America - or the world - now or ever again.
14
Kelly is a bigot, just like his boss. Only diff is; he was smart enough to hide behind military service.
I just can't wait for some in military to come out and share their Yuuggggge experiences with Kelly at some point.
15
It's already begun - news is out that Kelly volunteered as a character witness in the Marine court martial of some wife-beating colonel.
No surprise that he took the He-Man side against the "sacred" woman.
3
Someone please take away the White House's copy of How to Create a Third World Dictatorship for Dummies... Chapter 2 : put the military in charge, give them a Huge budget and give the Dear Leader a parade.
13
Two serpents joined at the neck, one trying to out man (snake) one another. I saw this debacle coming on its outset when one of the good ole boys was joined by his (twin) translator of evil. Now that the indoctrinated, and overly-disciplined marine has shed his former skin, (he) now can be what S. Sondheim in song described so well: "Sometimes when the package is so full, there's nothing underneath at all." This guy is comfortable in his actual skin, and the honesty of who he really is "underneath" is showing loud and clear... as he, flick of tongue, after flick of tongue spreads his venom and attracts joiners, at "we the people's" expense.
2
If Degenerate Kelly didn’t want attention he wouldn’t give press conferences attacking and lying about black congresswomen, denigrating Hispanic immigrants, praising wife-abusers who are working at the highest level in the WH, despite not having proper security clearance due to the very fact they are abusive misogynists, and pretending that he knew nothing about it, making him even more incompetent, if true, which we know is a lie. And most of all he should keep his racist, misogynistic mouth shut and stop defending his lord and master Cadet Bone Spurs Trump. They all are there to serve the People of the United States and to preserve and protect the Constitution, none of which Degenerate Kelly or his precious charge are doing. How could a General in the United States Marine Corps end up managing an adult daycare with only one charge and fail so miserably. One reason and one reason only: he supports everything his charge stands for. He is a disgrace to this country and will go down in history as such.
16
Has anyone yet asked WHY it take a British publication to expose this story? Why it take a whole year to appear in print?! The facts of this story were public information -- a high school newspaper reporter could have discovered them (2 wives who openly stated that Porter physically abused them, a protection order, no FBI security clearance for him). HELLO!! Where was the American press on this story? Why didn't we know about this a year ago?
20
Excellent questions. We get better coverage in the Brit newspapers (esp. the Guardian) than we get at home. No wonder politicians hired a British ex-spy to do the research on Donald.
1
The guy is showing his true colors for sure. He's a bully and a bigot. But let's not forget, according to Sarah Huckaugly you can't question a general.
14
Hope Hicks is going to crack. As Michael Wolff predicted, she will become the John Dean of the Trump administration. And Ms. Hicks has first hand knowledge of the misleading memo composed on Air Force One about the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with the Russians.
9
As with all things Trump,
if you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
8
"Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly's lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived."
This is not a matter of political spin. People dare to suggest a former general had no insight into domestic violence as shocking family event and hot-button issue as far as the average American is concerned?
What made him a great military leader - the jutting chin and frown? The more I hear of his tone-deaf comments, the more I view him as a perfect chief of staff for Trump. They are a callous pair.
7
John Kelly, we now know, is just a nasty reflection of his racist and misogynistic boss. He has disgraced himself and the position he holds by publicly demeaning Hispanic immigrants as "lazy;" falsely accusing an African American Congresswoman, Frederica Wilson, of being "an empty barrel;" and countenancing and defending a white male who battered both of his ex-wives as "honorable." If Gen. Kelly has any shred of dignity and honor left, he should follow Rib Portman's example and resign.
10
Seriously, is anyone surprised by the "get 'em and grab 'em" White House? And anyone who has paid attention to Kelly's statements in both of his positions in this administration know he's a misogynist and a racist. Indeed, they may well be requirements for working in this administration.
8
Trump is upset with Kelly? Kelly is a monkey see, monkey do. Trump lies in his praise of others - Charlottesville, "good people on both sides." Monkey see monkey do Kelly praises Porter. Trump lies in condemning others (list of names too long). Monkey see monkey do - Kelly lied about Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Trump should hate himself for the bad example he sets.
13
“I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”
I agree, he does have that right. What he doe NOT have a right to is holding a job that requires top level security clearance when he can't get one.
48
The media made John Kelly into the adult in the room with the constant slogan. Mr. Kelly is the flip side of Trump, his paying loose with the facts, speaks with authority even if he is not telling the truth. His withholding of information puts the country at risk as the legal scholars stated for blackmail. A wife beater should not be standing next to the President even if the president is the man we would want him to be.. John Kelly needs to be removed because he is a serious problem but hopefully they all will be moving out with the next election rolls around.
20
What was that old slogan -- "Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms." Sorry, I don't buy the recent rosification of the military outlook on life -- it is a fraud, and so is Kelly.
37
He may be, as you say, the center of the storm. But the ingredients of this storm are so many and so alike it is difficult to separate one from the other. How can female U.S. adults vote for a Republican for ANY office?
26
Because lots of women hate themselves. Christian women believe in the Bible and the Bible said Adam (man) is good and Eve (woman) is evil.
6
Kelly still owes a big apology for slandering Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida last year. He not only lied about her public comments at an event but also refused to back down when a video of that event plainly proved that he was wrong. This man should be stripped of all his stars.
51
Mr Kelly, as a career military man (along with Mr Mattis) have always bothered me with their proximity to this President. What are career military men trained to do? Standfast and fight I would imagine is their default position. With our President's woeful distaste for details it's no wonder the staff finds itself in yet another firefight.
17
I have one quibble with your comment, Paul. Secretary Mattis is honorable. I do not believe he would have lashed out Congresswman Wilson. I also think he would not have allowed Porter to stay for a year.
1
There are many, many people like kelly that have high ranking positions in the military. Most are as incompetent as he has demonstrated. Despite this, our legislature just wrote another blank check to fund the military.The billions wasted on the military should have been directed elsewhere as in vital infrastructure improvements and badly needed social programs. Instead, bad leadership gets the grand prize and those who actually deserve assistance get shoved to the back of the line again. Sad--very very sad.
22
In discussions of the "me too" phenomenon with my male friends, the inevitable and often final question they ask is "why did they stick around? What is that?"
Witness Hope Hicks. The fact that this grown woman with a baby's voice has suicidal taste in men (first Lewandoski and now Porter) should be a source of serious concern for those who care about her.
Judging from Hope's mother's explanation of how her daughter got this "communications" job (paraphrase) "Well Donald Trump just called her in and told her what she'd be doing" it's clear there's not much maternal guidance for this poor soul.
That Kelly knew about Porter's propensity for violence against women is clear. That he didn't offer some sage fatherly advice to a naive colleague should be a mallet upside the head of every American who watches these events unfold.
16
One of the reasons they stick around in some cases is money, or the lack of it. Another is kids. Then there is that wonderful advice given by religious leaders like the Mormon who advised one of Porter's wives to keep quiet about him and stay with him so she would 't ruin his career.
I had a sister in an abusive relationship. I kept asking her why she didn't just leave. She pointed out that it wasn't that easy. The man with whom she was involved would show up at her job and make scenes. She was afraid it would cost her her job. A number of shootings in the workplace these days seem to be committed by partners who couldn't take no for an answer. In the case of my sister a bench warrant did eventually solve her problem.
1
Maybe my memory is faulty, but my recollection is that you never used to hear a peep from the president's chief of staff. All his work was done on the inside and if he had an opinion it was filtered through the president or other high officials, not offered directly to the public. Am I wrong? (Of course I also remember when Supreme Court justices didn't give political speeches so I'm a real dinosaur.)
13
Praised as a man of integrity, who would establish order in a chaotic White House, General Kelly has proven to be one of them. An earlier comment by the wise sage Socrates noted that despite his military service, he seems to lack an appreciation for American values. I am beginning to agree. Thank you.
18
How many pillars of society are abusing their wives and kids at home while they hold prestigious jobs? And what about emotional abuse, which leaves no marks? And what are employers supposed to do and legally entitled to do in these situations?
Let’s make Rob Porter an SVP in a prestigious company. Let’s say his superiors suspect he’s a wife-beater by say, noticing vivid bruises on his wife at an office party. How do they fire someone who is doing an excellent job at work for abusing their family at home? Can they fire the man at will? Do they bring up a workplace code of conduct the employee is breaking? Perhaps they can fire him for committing a felony if the wife reports him for assault - but what if the wife does not report the abuse or press charges? What if the abuse has already been resolved in the sense that the charges were addressed with a jail stint, or they learn this has happened with an ex-wife, or that the current couple is divorcing?
Yes, Mr. Porter is disgusting, abusive, and a lawbreaker. But logic dictates there are millions like him working across America. What can and should an employer do when they discover an excellent worker has committed a felony in their off-hours, such as spousal abuse, or drunk driving, or purchasing illegal drugs, or shoplifting? And what if the employers learn about felonious activities through a colleague grapevine, but the worker has never been actually caught by the law?
1
If newspaper accounts are accurate you don't have to suppose anything about Porter. He doesn't have a security clearance. He is not qualified. Case closed.
1
We knew Kelly's days were numbered after he told Democratic Lawmakers - that Trump's promise to voters about the wall were not "fully informed" - which Trump quickly and publicly took issue with it. My guess is that Trump probably knew about Porter, didn't care, but kept it in is pocket to use against Kelly when/if he needed it. Interesting that the Porter abuse story comes 3 weeks after Kelly's statement about Trump not being "fully informed".
5
I don't get this guy. Isn't he also the one that told the president to scuttle an immigration agreement the president was leaning towards completing? He seems just as callous and divisive as the rest of them.
12
“Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly’s lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived.” This statement reveals so much. That this is even read as a political perception issue shows how little respect for women has penetrated the upper echelons of the military, who, let’s not forget are completely able to handle military harassment and assault cases internally. John Kelly should become the poster boy for renewed civilian oversight of sexual assault and harassment perpetrated on our military women.
10
Former White House something-or-other and reality TV "star" Omarosa Manigault spoke for tens of millions when she said in an interview yesterday, "I’d like to say it’s not my problem, but I can’t say that because, like, it’s bad."
We knew it would be. But we didn't know it would be THIS bad. I hope someone is writing all this down and getting it notarized, because future generations wouldn't otherwise believe that a White House could have been this dramatically dysfunctional.
What ghastly episodes yet await us? Stay tuned, to "The Young and the Reckless."
4
"Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly’s lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived."
Lack of experience in Washington politics? Just being a decent human being would give you the right reaction to domestic abuse charges.
12
1. The problem with generals in political positions is that generals are used to being able to order subordinates to shaddup and have them actually shaddup, as well as being able to tell reporters that this or that is a matter of security, or that they're not going to have their words taken down on a regular basis.
2. Given the Russia probe, if Preibus is taking Trump's calls, he's dumber than I thought. That is remarkable.
7
See, this is what happens when we have a culture that's too reverential to our military. I'm not saying they're not brave for putting themselves in harm's way - they are. And I'm not saying they don't deserve to be taken care of, in many cases better than they are - they do.
But as this little event shows, they can also be truly flawed people.
8
Trump Taint gonna taint. Even Kelly.
But lets be frank; Kelly was never the firm, evenhanded manager he was pitched as when he took over.
5
Kelly has better critical thinking skills than Trump but not by much. To state that some immigrants are lazy is to ignore the fact that there are lazy humans in every possible group. The president, for instance, is too lazy to do his job of informing himself about issues.
We face complex issues in this country. Dumbing these problems down to make them fit twitter or a thirty second news blip won’t get anything done. Kelly needs to sit down and get somewhere.
5
Not surprising that a Marine Corpe general is not disturbed by violence against women. This has been an ongoing outrage against women in the military.
8
Remember that good old-fashioned word *martinet?* There*s a reason we don't want the military to run any nation.
5
Does the President undergo FBI background checks in order to get top secret clearance? It seems unlikely that the current occupant of the White House would pass muster.
10
Pence calls Trump "a good man" - so it is no surprise that the White House tried to protect and defend a wife abuser . Kelly has strict control of info to Trump; some say this is good. I suggest Kelly is power seeking and has amassed great power for himself to push his own agenda on immigration, taxes and more. It is so easy to manipulate Trump.
1
Allegations of abusing his wife? Well did he get his day in court? Is that all a scorned wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/husband has to do to ruin a person's life is say they were abused? While I am not doubting his ex-wives accusations I still think there needs to be some process legally one way or another confirming whether he's guilty or innocent. And if you are guilty, does it mean you are incapable of holding down a meaningful job and should be fired? Something is very wrong with this picture.
If you're inclined to fits of rage and violence against your spouse (domestic abuse), you can most certainly hold down a job, however, to obtain a top secret security clearance is another story. You can have lousy credit and hold down a job, but obtaining a top secret security clearance, not.
The FBI, who investigates those applying for, and hopefully receiving top secret security clearances, makes certain that the applicant can't be compromised. Does this make sense to you now?
2
Um, the FBI confirmed all this through interviews and denied him security clearance, which is something he needs to do his job.
This response is interesting to me in several respects. Did abuse not happen if someone didn't "get his day in court"? Isn't the intimation that someone alleging abuse is "scorned" a bit presumptuous and value laden? Three different women have stated that the guy was abusive and one went so far as to get a restraining order. Two of the three were interviewed by the FBI. By the way, if he's guilty of the sort of assault reported then shouldn't he be in jail or ordered to receive counseling? Finally, I don't believe anyone suggested that he couldn't hold a meaningful job....just not one where he needs intelligence clearance and doesn't in any way represent our country.
Something is indeed wrong with this picture.
1
At what point will we admit that no one can work in the Trump White House and retain their respectability. The president is so erratic and focused on his own image that there is not a person who can make this White House look organized .At the rate the White House is cycling through people there will be few left who would even consider this dead end job challenge.
5
I think Mr. Trump should take the advice of his press secretary and not question a 4-star general.
John Kelly showed his true colors when he slurred Rep. Frederica Wilson and was so quickly contradicted by video evidence, and not only failed to apologize, but also declared that he stood by his unknowingly false comments. This week he slurs immigrants with a tired trope of the "lazy immigrant" and twice stood accused of domestic violence by different wives. Whatever respect Mr. Kelly deserved from serving the United States in uniform, he has more than squandered by revealing himself as someone who harbors racist and misogynistic beliefs.
8
Aside from the obvious animal house style of management seen at all levels of the WH, this story highlights the military's view of domestic abuse, e.g., "what's the big deal?"
1
Americans are tiring of this whole business of 'playing politics' as it has been for decades, but with even more insincerity (if that is possible) these last couple of elections and administrations.
As holders of some of the highest offices in the land, a position granted to them by the people and not 'due' to them, each and every one is expected to tell the truth, and if they cannot, to smile and decline comment.
We recognized liars when we see them, and having no way of knowing what is the truth or a lie is unsettling and demeans their offices.
When someone deliberately misleads the public by withholding information or outright lying to save face or deflect is wrong, despite the belief on the part of those playing the game that it is part of the art of being a high level elected official.
Time to stop and turn things around. The voters need to let anyone running, incumbent or not, that this is the new standard.
1
I just can't imagine any competent person being willing to go to work for this White House. The people who do work there seem to get worse and worse. I keep waiting for the day that the Republicans say, "enough,' but that day has not yet come.
222
I very much suspect that some work there simply to put a break on any chaos that could really devastate America. (Can you imagine Trump as President during the 2008 economic meltdown or during The Cuban Missile Crisis?) I think a few are actually folks (patriots?) who are willing to see their own reputations in tatters just to keep the nuttiness at the top from causing national catastrophe.
And given the very rude way Kelly treated Rep. Wilson, Kelly obviously doesn't believe that women should ever voice an opinion on anything.
1
Corruption attracts the corrupt. Honourable people stay away from places where corruption is the name of the game. Witness the people who resigned quickly, who knocked back nominations, or refused to even consider them. Note this WH's problem filling positions with competent and honest people. Resignations from State and so many other organisations essential to running the country are unprecedented as minor political hacks, like the 24 year old in charge of opioid agency. He's now gone but many similar others are still in place. Who knows how long it will take to repair the damage?
1
For the orange one, down is up, wrong is right, evil is good, etc. Does this person have an understanding of reality. I doubt it.
12
Who does one bring in as replacements when "the best people ever" turn out to be thugs and wife beaters?
32
The uniform does not make the man.
38
Come on, people - he's a Marine! How enlightened can he possibly be??
23
I think those who are politically less savy are those who are more honest, not unlike the "guff" that seasoned politicians have some times. Instead of being treated as accidental misspoke, guff should really be moments of truth. John Kelly has merely been revealing to us with each actions or nonactions as chief of stuff what kind of person he is.
I have no doubt John Kelly served this country honorably as a soldier. But that does not necessarily means he does not believe in dominance of white culture, or LGBT are sinnful people, or Islam as fundamentally a violent religion, or global warming is hoax, or taxcut always generate economic growth, or nonwhite races are naturally inferior, or sexual assaults against women is not serious asssaults therefore not serious character flaw, or welfare recipients are moochers....
40
I have every doubt that Kelly served OUR country honorably, Doodle . If he had he would be helping to strengthen it and use diplomacy to solve world problems - not help The Con Don and their Robber Baron brethren destroy it.
4
Mr.Kelly a respected General lost his mind and has become a Trumpist. The biggest problem with him that he proved himself to be a big time racist. He started his job at white house declaring his jihad against Muslims . Then he declared his fondness and love for Robert E Lee, a confederate general who was the biggest pro-slavery person. He called the DACA young Hispanics lazy. Now he stood up firmly for a " wife beater and abuser" and did nothing after receiving FBI report. He allowed a number of white house personnel without top secret clearance to handle top secret papers like Mr. Porter. It is Trump's white house (used to be our ).
51
He'll survive. Faced worse in Marine basic.
2
Much guilt by association on display here. Just maybe, Kelly has turned an unqualified disaster into a manageable one. And maybe before excoriating Kelly, his fiercest critics should imagine walking a mile in his shoes.
3
That's just it, Kelly took the job that few would for obvious reasons. Why did the president have such a hard time finding a lawyer in DC (of all places)? Because Trump doesn't listen and he stiffs people. Anyone who had paid the least amount of attention to the Trump campaign would have figured out the difficulty of staffing the WH with such a president. Yes there is guilt by association, it's seen every day in criminal courts.
1
I would never walk a mile in the shoe of someone who protects an abuser. Period.
3
I can't walk a mile in his shoes. My bone spurs make it impossible. Sad.
When Kelly was appointed, he received praise from liberals as well as conservatives, Dems as well as Repubs. Most Americans were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because of his long service to this nation as a Marine. As a Boston boy like Kelly and being from a family that has served in every branch of the military, I had high hopes for Kelly. But everyone who embraces Trump comes away degraded and stinking of The Leader's racism, sexism and dishonesty. Now Kelly's word is worthless and his reputation is as a racist and sexist...and serial liar. Now he's become just another mangled tool in the ugliest Presidency in American history. Kelly will go down as just more Trumpian bigotry and sexism. I genuinely feel sorry for General Kelly and his family.
37
Kelly is just like his boss, a completely immoral and despicable human being. Both should be fired, criminally charged with being accomplices to domestic violence, and condemned by everyone. American History will some day shed the proper light on this administration as one of the most disgusting in U.S. history.
56
I'd say that rather than being "too lazy" to disclose their immigration issues and enter a deal with the US government, these people were afraid. This administrations actions have shown they were, in all likelihood, right to have been afraid.
To use the details of the deal they signed to throw Dreamers out of the country is a gross betrayal of trust. I imagine transsexual serving in the military feel similarly betrayed - at least by a president who does not feel beholden to any deals America has entered in the past. Like Iran for another example. Your NATO allies too. The whole world regarding the Paris agreement for that matter.
America can no longer be trusted to pay its dues or its debts. Why would NK enter an agreement with the US when now we all know an American deal is only good for 4 years?
Perhaps though, you can ensure this stain on Americas honour is just an unfortunate blip and we, your allies, can get back the America we miss?
7
One of Trump's most alarming traits in the corrosive effect he has on others. He reduces the people who surround him to his level--mean, petulant, selfish, willfully ignorant, and dim. I know little about Kelly, but it's possible Trump infected "his general," too. Mueller, please act fast to clear the poisonous fool and his minions out of the White House!
21
General Kelly is responsible for how General Kelly behaves. We are all surrounded by people (boss/co-workers/strangers) who may be "mean, petulant, selfish, willfully ignorant, and dim." How we conduct OURSELVES under these circumstances is the measure of our character. The more I learn about Kelly, the more I realize he was always the man he is today. Trump just exposed him for what he is and always was.
1
More turmoil in the court of the syphilitic Emperor. We're once again being taught that fish rots from the head.
17
Trump brings out the worst in people. You work for him you end up discovering where all your weak spots are. Kelly made a bargain with Trump. Now we should stop bemoaning his predicament. You dance with the devil this is how you end up.
19
Trump hires the worst people, it's that simple.
3
"I will hire the best people."
- Donald J. Trump
20
John Kelly has aged 5 years in 6 months. It's usually the president who goes into ageing overdrive. Perhaps the general should take up golf?
5
Seems your charge not too happy, Mr. Kelly....more Paul Newman and less Strother Martin?
All this article is quite interesting. What would be more interesting is to know the name of the person(s) who provided this information to the two people who wrote this hit piece. Reuters just released an article that say in part that the Times articles are unbiased. Well, there is plenty of evidence from the Times itself that says just the opposite.
2
Wasn't it President Kennedy who said "Ask not... to be named in newspaper articles detailing with dysfunction in your government office.... Ask to be an unnamed source so you can dish the real dirt"...
Not liking the content of a story doesn't make it biased.
1
Attack the messenger eh? Haberman is practically embedded in the White House, has dozens of sources and breaks stories that are accurate daily. It's really not a controversial piece of reporting that Trump is displeased with a Chief of Staff who has made several negative headlines this week, ya know.
3
Daily shining objects to distract the press from the traitor, psychopath in chief's felonious assault to avoid justice, investigation, disgrace, divestiture and prison as a traitor.
94
"He engaged in a heated back-and-forth with an African-American Democratic congresswoman, distorting statements she had made at a ceremony they both attended." Distorted??? What planet have your reporters been living on? No, there is video tape showing John Kelly plain out and out lied with his comments about Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.
312
Apparently Baker and Haberman can't bring themselves to clearly state the "L" word. Kelly LIED. LIED. These reporters may not be cut out for the job. This isn't just semantics.
6
That is why I like Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC. He doesn’t hold back and walk on eggshells describing these traitors as such. He doesn’t hesitate to call any and all of them liars, incompetent and whatever other terms are appropriate.
3
C.G. - Thank you.
Kelly makes Archie Bunker look enlightened.
160
Lordie me, these are the guys who will organize a military parade and forget to include the Marines. They're doing a better job of destroying competent government than Steve Bannon. The White House is a locker room running off the tracks.
81
Trump cannot can Kelly. He is the best of the cannon fodder to date and the inventory of fools to mind the idiot president is thin. If we think there is chaos now, wait for the change. Since Trump is turning to Priebus, we know the President has few if any alternatives.
18
The attention Kelly attracted from everyone, including the Press, as a know-all guy just because he looks like a stereotypical military man from a cartoon strip, goes to show how appearance trumps substance. Kelly is a racist, bigot, not very intelligent, and fairly ignorant, just like the rest of the White House mob. What else is to be expected, really.
77
John Kelly has shown himself to be as big a liar as Donald Trump, and someone who feels comfortable in race baiting, now he is an enabler for a wife beater.
I think both him and Hope Hicks need to be removed from the Whitehouse.
166
Truly the Captain of the Trump Titanic. Who would have thought???
Well, many, many People. You were all warned, repeatedly.
Reap the whirlwind. Bigly.
22
This article is not about demonizing Kelly or Porter but is a weak and very transparent attempt by NYT to get some dirt on President Trump through his associates. It's an effort that has been carried on endlessly by the media since it became apparent that Trump could actually get elected. All previous attempts have failed when it became clear that nobody cared. This media jab will be no different...meanwhile America becomes great again. Also, the article failed to mention that the "black eye" photo of Porter's ex-wife is 14 years old. This type of journalism says more about your failure to report the news than it does about Trump's administration of government.
3
The pic is fourteen years old because he punched her fourteen years ago ! smh !
Why do you chose to present it as "black eye"? And what possible difference does the age of the photo make?
You forgot to mention that Porter has acknowledged that he took the picture
When all that someone can say in your defense is that you are human, you have truly reached the nadir of your once valued reputation, and you cannot get it back.
23
It is frighteningly horrendous that Trump is too narcissistic and stupid to realise that he is dragging America down the drain. Any ounce of comprehension would lead him to know that instead of making America great again he is doing the exact opposite. And he would have voluntarily resigned from the office which the Russians had connived to put him in. He has, if one care to evaluate carefully, totally failed in every venture he personally undertook and succeeded by his own personal actions. Because America "allowed" this con man to get into office surely must mean the US is no longer the leading nation of the free world and the champion of democracy. That position is now vacant. The rest of the world is now looking to other nations and their leaders for leadership. To then Trump is a proven and certified buffoon.
18
Hope Hicks didn't understand that dating Rob Porter made her ineligible to defend him? Even if Porter had not been credibly accused of wife beating, doesn't Hicks understand what "conflict of interest" means? Of course she doesn't. Because even the President has no idea what this concept means, so how can we expect that those this president chooses would be smarter than he is(n't)?
38
No "colluding" going on in that White House.
Just canoodling.
Lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
23
What is missing is, these men are how old? Did someone else truly influence them? No, this is who he is, they are. I'm afraid Mr. Kelly had fleas long before cozying up to Trump and his group. Remember, he's supposed to be the "smart" one. No I have a feeling his words are his own. And are not new to him. Just to us who thought him to be an honorable man. Again, we thought better of people we shouldn't have.
1
The White House is starting to look like a cross between Stalag 13 from Hogan's Heroes and Jonestown.
32
Unless you are family (and even then -- ask Tiffany) he loses interest in you after 6 months. Kelly just passed his sell-by date, that's all.
24
Lying is a prerequisite for employment in the Trump White House. Indeed it is a needed quality esteemed above all others. How they can all be so bad at telling lies is a mystery, but with all this practice they will surely get down pat as President Nixon is reported to have said viewing the movie 'Deep Throat'
14
Armchair politicians like General Kelly and Mr. Trump himself are enamored of the trappings of the military, including ruthlessly enforced discipline. A military leader who expects and receives unquestioned fealty is absolutely the wrong man to serve as consiglieri to the spoiled-brat president currently occupying the oval office.
59
Just heard Trump chastising Kelly for saying that The Wall is an evolving idea. Trump fumed to the effect that it still is exactly as it was the moment "[he] conceived of it." Hundreds of billions of dollars for a project that has not at all changed from the moment it was conceived in full splendor -- by a politician who is not even remotely an engineer?
1
In any prior administration, Mr. Kelly's comments over the past few weeks would have raised red flags and resulted in withering condemnation from the President. And, this latest incident where he's obviously lying about his prior knowledge of Mr. Porter's abuse would be cause for termination. But in this debacle of an administration?....it's just another day in the dysfunctional office.
Doe anybody really believe that Mr. Kelly wasn't made aware as to why his trusted assistant Mr. Porter was denied a security clearance by the FBI for the past 12 months. Does anyone really believe that Mr. Kelly only found out about the abuses" only an hour before (then) suggesting he resign"?
And as final evidence to show how sad and twisted this White House is, is anybody surprised that Kelly's original glowing press release about Mr. Porter's high caliber personality was penned by Mr. Porter's girlfriend of the moment, Hope Hicks?
The White House and its staff have denigrated the institution to a level heretofore unseen.
81
Truman would have fired him long ago. HST was not impressed or intimidated by military arrogance.
General Kelly: Refresh yourself on the meaning of Honor, and dignity. Before it's too late. Thank you for your service, and continued condolences on the loss of your Son. Sincerely.
18
Anybody who comes into contact with President Trump catches "the disease." The American people have caught it and now it's the great Generale Kelly's turn. Nobody is immune. The question is will our democracy survive intact until January 20, 2021. I can't imagine that Trump will run and win another term, but I never thought he had a chance in 2016. God save us.
17
bye bye john. this is all so familiar like an old episode of I Claudius. i have read that this president spends many hours a day in front of the tube. hope he at least makes a pledge drive for america.
6
This is actually hilarious.
Straight up classic malignant narcissism. Trump is allowed to tweet like an elementary school bully and generally earn the most negative press imaginable. But if anyone else earns negative press -- forget that history will not be kind to any of his enablers and they have sold their souls to enable his degeneracy -- but if other people get negative press, then THAT's a problem.
Get it? There are two sets of rules: one set for Trump (zero rules) and one for everybody else (rules apply to them).
36
If Trump had a Trumanesque saying on his desk, it would certainly read...The Buck Stops Anywhere, But Here!
3
Chaos is chaos, and chaos reigns. We -- all of us -- are in danger as long as Trump is in office. I wake up in the morning and wonder: Has a war started? Has Mueller been fired? What environmental set back has been enacted overnight?
And -- Hope Hicks beware. An abuser only continues in the same pattern.
90
As a fellow Bostonian and veteran I thank Gen. Kelly for his service and mourn for his son....but an American hero? Not really....never awarded the CMH, Silver Star or Bronze Star. A competent military officer but a disgrace as Chief of Staff. American hero? I think not.
48
This empty barrel needs to go away NOW. Never seen such a failure COS in my lifetime.
18
Do you forget the previous ones in this administration?
This tidbit from the LA Times today is all you need to know about why Trump chose Kelly as his Chief of Staff, needing someone who could bend the truth until it was unrecognizable.
"When John Kelly oversaw the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, dozens of detainees refused to eat as a form of protest. Kelly, furious at the potential propaganda implications, instructed his charges to avoid using the term 'hunger strike,' insisting it be called a 'long-term nonreligious fast.'"
104
Thomas Rick’s book The Generals mentions Kelly once, when Kelly gets James Mattis to relieve a colonel of his command of a Marine regiment during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The reason for the removal, a controversy within the Corps: a conflict between preservation of men and speed of reaching objectives. This incident could leave you with an unfavorable impression of Mattis and especially Kelly. If you look further, such as reading Christopher Cooper’s April, 2004 WSJ article on this removal, that impression of both of Trumps’ favorite generals is confirmed. I really have no confidence that either Kelly or Mattis would stand up our draft dodging leader if the need to do so arose.
14
It's interesting that Trump shows the same abilities in judging character that he's demonstrated in business and government. Luckily, the Republicans apparently no longer consider competence to be a requirement for the Presidency.
34
Should any of this come as a surprise? Of course not. The Trump Administration has been roiled by controversy and dysfunction even before they moved in to the White House. Ultimately, Kelly reports to the President. So I think the overarching issue here is the fact that President Trump lacks the judgement, competence, patience, and moral fibre to properly execute his office. How many times must this point be demonstrated--and at what cost?--before even his most ardent supporters abandon him. Sociologists have used evidence to demonstrate that, when faced with contrary evidence, a contemporary conservative will tend to double down on a bad bet. When your "bad bet" has one finger batting out Twitter screeds and the other on the nuclear button, well, that's a scary proposition.
11
"The president has little tolerance for aides who attract negative media attention that spills onto him ..."
That is it, the whole story. Trump hires people who worship him, do his every bidding and leave the limelight to him. That unfortunately is in direct conflict with the idea of hiring competent professionals to do the innumerable complex tasks in the exceptionally complex business that is running the US government.
But then we knew that. Trump isn't qualified to do this. He does a moderately good job at running a snake oil sales real estate business in which lying, cheating, and taking people to court are part of the formula. He also has a remarkable charisma that seduces people into believing that they are special before he follows the usual pattern of lying, cheating and taking them to court.
26
It's completely fair to question Kelly's integrity. His military record gives him no pas on this. Unfortunately for him, he will likely be remembered for how he ended his run - aiding and abetting the toxic atmosphere that is this White House - than anything he accomplished before he went to work for this president.
11
This may be the hardest job Mr. Kelly has ever had but that doesn’t mean you have to lose your moral compass to get the job done. If in fact what others have said about him is true then, this job is really not for him. This job requires that you sell your very soul to please someone who isn’t satisfied with your undying loyalty. In the military you count on the person next to you to have your back in good times and when the bullets start flying. But in the Whitehouse that isn’t the case. The president continues to demonstrate that its about him not the American people, not the constitution certainly not you as his employee. But, it you look at the statements that Mr. Kelly continues to make a different picture comes to the surface. He clearly has the same ideas about Dreamers that Miller has. He didn’t want to hear the truth about Porters behavior. He has an agenda and it probably is very close to the presidents. DACA is dead and the deportations will soon begin.
6
It's beyond me how anyone can think that anybody can "bring calm" to that maelstrom in the White House.
In any case, it has no business being part of any job description involving the president of the United States.
There is something seriously wrong with this picture.
11
Most of what is and has been happening at the White House since Mr Trump arrived provides excellent entertainment. The problem is that for this kind of entertainment I would go to a circus!
5
Who will be left on the island? When we elected a reality show President, we asked for a reality show White House, and that is what we have. Trump is all show and no action. He has no idea what he is doing, and no way to recruit people who might direct his administration to act in America's best interest. What qualified, experienced expert in anything would work for the likes of Ben Carson, Scott Pruitt, or the Betsy DeVos? The highest ranks of our government are losing the best and the brightest to be replaced by somebody's buddy. Why is Jarrod Kushner in charge of anything for God's sake? Trump's secretary's are following the bosses example, and our government is failing. Democracy in action?
16
I just can't understand how any decent, sane, competent human being could work for Trump. What's the upside to being part of this administration, great dental benefits?
12
A lot of the discussion of this has focused on White House attitudes toward domestic violence (which are unsurprisingly poor), rather than on the fact that a whole lot of people seem to be running around the White House with access to very sensitive information WITHOUT SECURITY CLEARANCES!
18
After they tried to crucify Hillary -- and successfully cost her the election -- over three e-mails that never caused any harm to national security.
The mind truly reels.
5
Mr. Kelly began his job well, it seemed. Then, like some others in the White House, he apparently thought it was OK to pop off about this or that. We were so hopeful for some order, sanity, and decency.
3
John Kelly, probably the "best" of Trump's best people turns out to be vocally racist, defender of a violent domestic abuser without security clearance, and enables a White House which continues to spin out of control. His notable military career aside, like many of Trump's appointments is not qualified for the position he holds. From where I sit, Kelly's only accomplishment was ousting Omarosa who, like Trump, should never have been part of the U.S. government.
10
Trump is not qualified for the job he now holds, and he is determined that anyone he appoints not be qualified for their job, either. Can their be any surprise at the result?
10
What sane qualified person would want to be associated with DT's administration?
2
Whatever General Kelly's shortcomings as a spokesperson, political savant, and someone too often excited and inspired by his biases, he has been a decent manager. The shelf life of a Chief of Staff is often short. But serving a President like Trump is just impossible. The revolving door of personnel, the firings and indictments, the near comic introduction of people such as the "Mooch", the tweets, the attacks on the judiciary, the intelligence agencies and the media, the galactic insecurity of whining Donald and his almost imbecilic ignorance of simple knowledge of the government, the law, the history combined with the often viciousness of adolescents have made our country both a laughing stock and perceived danger. Would the 64 million people who voted for this man in 2016 vote for him today? Trump is an urban street corner president whose father exiled him to a military academy after he discovered he had gone to Manhattan to buy switchblade knives. OK that was many years ago but after one year in the White House does it seem that he has changed? Have we the people changed?
1
A decent manager? Did you miss the part about Porter's lack of a security clearance?
2
Did you miss the months before Kelly became Chief of Staff?
I know his time in the military included praising a guy who apparently engaged in sexual harassment.
1
Kellys stock has fallen faster than yesterdays DJIA. Unlike the stock market his reputation will not recover quickly or easily.
8
When will Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman end their apology tour for Donald Trump and John Kelly. Access to the President and Chief of Staff has trumped their sense of professional journalism.
"Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly’s lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived.
Mr. Porter was also a favorite of Mr. Kelly’s." Including this quote goes beyond balanced reporting. The "reporters" should know better.
We are supposed to give Kelly, a combat veteran, a pass on how violence against a woman would be perceived? Was he being naive when he verbally attacked a black woman of power, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, with lies and negative innuendo to cover for his morally challenged boss? I do not recall Haberman or Baker rushing to defend the Congresswoman. Their coverage of this White House has been more cloyingly sycophantic than investigative. They have lost any sense of objectivity in their coverage of Trump and Co. Sad!
9
Trump has no loyalty to anyone but himself. Kelly left his dignity (if he had any) at the door when he entered Trump's world. No sympathy for this empty barrel.
8
He is toast but at the same time he is probably one of the saner members of DT's staff.
Kelly would be wise to leave now, before the final act begins.
3
No one with a grasp of the reality of this administration believed for one minute Kelly was going to bring "calm" or "dignity." The praise of Kelly was based on an ignorant media who continues to grasp at downplaying the ineptitude and harm the white house is inflicting on this country. If you have honor, if you have integrity, you don't lay with the devil.
Those who claim this is not the man they knew - in their individual experiences they have never been forced to consider racism, sexism, or moral depravity. What's on display now has always been there.
5
Donald Trump claims responsibility for every good thing, and describes every problem as somebody else's fault. It was simply John Kelly's turn.
6
So Hillary's handling of her emails while she was SOS (in precisely the same way her two predecessors did) results in the "LOCK HER UP" meme. But Trump's and Kelly's allowing a person who has been denied security clearance to handle every classified document that goes to the POTUS results in a "Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor, and I can’t say enough good things about him" refrain. I think it's time to "LOCK THEM ALL UP."
17
After Trump dumps Kelly (an action that is coming very soon), he can hand the job over to either Ivanka or her shady husband. That's what he's wanted to do all along anyway.
6
I think it is pretty clear by now that John Kelly has been a man who used smoke and mirrors to develop a reputation for himself that was never correct, complete and deserved. His military career should be acknowledged while also recognizing the moral and ethical ambiguities he displayed.
Now in the Oval Office, Kelly is functioning without the cover of his four stars and we see a man who has some serious flaws. In buddying up to trump Kelly has found a soul mate of racism, bigotry and misogeny. Trump is mad at him because Kelly has not been skillful in hiding his true feelings and therefore tarnishing Trump's image. It's all about Trump and his image NOT ethics, morality or respect for human decency.
Kelly now lies without blinking in service to his master and is more than happy to spin and lay blame on others, women, blacks, immigrants while adopting a morally superior attitude in the knowledge that no one will push back.
Concerns about national security no longer bother this former general. He chooses to ignore such issues because he has become arrogant with his power.
This is the TRUMP administration after all. Character, morals, ethics are not valued. We won.
11
Media personalities, including the writers of this piece, praised the choice of Kelly as COS. He would "tame" Trump we were told. He was a well respected general, after all, and knew how to bring discipline to a dysfunctional WH. They all failed to dig much deeper. Kelly is a rigid man who views women as saints or sinners, immigrants as bad or good -- mostly bad. And he comes from an institution, the military, which has continuously supported the abuse of women in its ranks by refusing to do anything about it. He is a perfect match for Porter and for Trump.
8
This is the amateur hour! From the chief of staff to the spokesman - all amateurs. I guess the President can't make out professionals from amateurs. Or does it have to do with how inefficient a person is.
1
There needs to be an FBI investigation into how it is that Porter - and Jarad Kushner - were and are able to handle classified and restricted information in the Oval Office.
Question: If trump was not president would he be able to get a security clearance or would he be rejected also?
How is this security breach allowed to happen?
8
This administration is an absolute rolling dumpster fire.
To mix a metaphor, some would say that the body rots from the head down. And surely the source of this rot is Donald Trump's cruelty, ignorance, mendacity, lack of discipline, narcissism, racism, misogyny, mean-spiritedness... I'll leave the list there, because I keep thinking of more bad things that are pretty evidence-based and provable.
But on the other hand, almost everyone in this administration is highly susceptible to that rot by virtue of their willingness to join. Anyone with an ounce of sense or principle passed on participating in such a compromised enterprise. History will judge Trump, his administration, and the craven Republican Party very harshly.
4
John Kelly, one of the finest men in the country, will be just fine. Many in the media would like to see John Kelly go because John Kelly is doing his job well and making the Trump Presidency a success. The people who should go are Sessions, Rosenstein, Wray, Mueller and Mueller's partisan Democrat team.
1
Snort. How do you define "fine" ???
He's overlooked racism, misogyny, sexual harrassment his entire career and now it's finally catching up with him. Deservedly so.
7
Trump has been chomping at the bit to find an excuse to get rid of his babysitter - this is his chance. Kelly is bad enough, but now here comes Jason Miller...
2
At this point what qualified and competent person would even consider taking a position in this madhouse?
9
I feel sorry for General Kelly. At least when he was on active service overseas he knew who his enemies were. The White House must seem more like a civil war, actually a very un-civil war, by comparison. Watch your back General, the knives are out.
49
Well...he was a conscientious and competent officer; there is considerable disagreement as to how well he did as Chief of Staff. I'm not sure if I would have been happy to serve under him, shall we say? He's not in a good position, now. Between that and that loss of his son, I do feel for him. He deserves better than he's going to get...how can you accurately judge another's course, though?
well yeah, but, I am pretty sure there was not a gun to his head (metaphorically speaking of course), when he took the job. He knew what he was getting in to.
7
Kelly deserves no sympathy! He’s a collaborator just as much as Paul Ryan.
12
John Kelly has demonstrated that he is a racist, misogynist empty barrel, just like the little man he works for.
For a man who spent most of his career wearing a military uniform, and who lost his own son, a fellow Marine, in Afghanistan, John Kelly seems to lack basic America values.
Another man's reputation completely destroyed with the help of the nation's Village Idiot From Queens.
338
Trump is trying to clear the way for military action against North Korea, which no military man, certainly not Kelly, would countenance. Nothing can stand in the way of Donald Trump and his whims. And, as the country’s first whimsical President, he just might bring us to an Armageddon in a lighthearted way. And we all know the Republican position on good vs evil.
68
There is no reason whatsoever to think that Kelly or any "military man" who had the power to do so (and he does not) would stand in the way of military action against NK.
1
Kelly showed his stripes early on, standing approvingly behind Trump as he announced the Muslim travel ban.
295
Kelly seems to view himself as a pillar of moral rectitude, the very embodiment of his institutions, and by extension, America at her most glorious. We are seeing him unwittingly display the misogyny, hypocrisy, racism also embodied in these institutions. Unfortunately, Kelly is also a pillar of rigidity, bent on blindly upholding what is rather than what could be.
600
Unwittingly? It seems entirely wittingly.
5
Good description of Pence too
10
It makes one wonder if Kelley ever abused his wife with the lack of character and humanity he has displayed recently.
2
John Kelly has lost a lot of "points" with me in the past few weeks.
Extreme vetting???
65
Only a LOT?
He has lost them all.
4
Please. A little pity for the tough guy brought in to tame the bully? Because he didn't anticipate that there'd be blowback for praising a guy accused of abuse by two ex wives? Kelly's own Commander in Chief has his personal string of assault charges, history of awful treatment of women (what wife doesn't want to share a marital bed with a spouse who's gone bareback with a porn star? ). Kelly's personal views are pretty clear on a number of issues. Thug comes to mind. He knows the chain of command, showed courage on the battle field, but we'd be happy to see him gone too. Chaos in the White House. So What? Tax changes for the 1%, deregulation, loss of our social safety net are already in the works. Done. Kelly is irrelevant to any possible 'good' occurring in this administration. He might just make the 'awful' appear more orderly.
168
One thing this crisis illustrates is just how thin the white house staff is. We now have a White House spokesperson who is obviously not a white non-immigrant. In this White House, this is a mark not of tolerance, but of desperation.
Will Hope Hicks stay? Whatever her faults, she is able to deal with the president and other abusers. Trump surrounded by abettors is bad. Trump alone is certainly worse.
The abuse tolerance story is not the big one.
The big story is Trump and his cabal ignoring the FBI hold on this and (apparently) many other security clearances. There is no respect shown for ordinary care of our most closely held secrets. How many in the White House are without permanent security clearances? Certainly Rob Porter, but also Jared Kushner, and likely many others. The "above Top Secret" President's Daily Brief (PDB) is said to be seen by a dozen or more people each day. How many actually have security clearance? We already know of 2. Republicans would be calling "treason" on any Democratic president who was this casual about our most closely guarded secrets.
Just like all the other staff in this administration, it seems like John Kelly has decided to become much more than his job title. I don't know whether to praise the dysfunction or to be scared of it.
16
A shameless pawn protecting a sexual abuser...great!
186
If the FBI refused to approve Rob Porter for ‘Secret Clearance’ and the White House claims President Trump never knew Porter hadn’t been cleared, then someone in the White House decided to deceive the President and allow Porter to handle the most secret of secrets on a daily basis. If this is not a crime, we need to rethink how our government should work, starting at the top. Of course, Trump probably did know about Porter and there was no crime, just another White House lie and moral failure.
314
Apparently, there are a number of officials working in the White House without full security clearances. This is often just a matter of time for new hires. But if there are others, like Porter, who have extended interim clearances, this should be made known to the public.
When Kelly was selected we were told that his awesome military background would give him an advantage in this new position. Local news outlets were happy since he's Boston-born and bred and there were oodles of positive press about Kelly and his career leading to some level of hope. But since then everything he's been quoted as saying gives me nothing but bad feelings. From that standpoint he is misogynistic, arrogant, oblivious, and rude. Perhaps the reason he was selected for the position was his kinship with Trump, not the hope that he would bring rationality and control to the job.
Yesterday on the local NPR station I heard it said that Kelly dealing with Trump is akin to a beleaguered parent dealing with an oppositional teenager. As a parent of a difficult teen, I wish him luck but I do not have hope.
183
In this case its a drunk, racist parent dealing with a delusional, antisocial teenager with a drug habit.
3
Suppose that Hope Hicks came to work with a black eye after an evening out with Rob Porter? Would John Kelly have excused that incident? Maybe John Kelly will blame Rob Porter’s domestic violence against his ex wives on “the lack of an ability to compromise”, the way he cavalierly explained the cause of the Civil War. Kelly shares the president’s animus towards blacks and immigrants, slurring them “empty barrels” and lazy. Even after the photo of the woman’s black eye became public, Kelly stood by his comments praising Porter.
Kelly simply doesn’t get it. Women are fed up with being abused physically, sexually and emotionally. Kelly’s comments arguably offer support to known abusers of women such as Harvey Weinstein, Larry Nassar and Bill Cosby. Where has Kelly been during the last year? Doesn’t he know that it is NOT okay to abuse women or give a pass to their abusers?
303
Kelly shares the same attitudes and characteristics as Trump.
13
Perhaps unconsciously Kelly wants to be thrown into the briar patch.
27
One of the most striking things about Wolf's book was that while Trump sent his minions on a leaker hunt, the biggest leaker in the White House is POTUS himself. He's the one calling random friends, journalists, former advisors and employees to gossip - often for HOURS on end at all hours of the night.
When things would get out the following day and the press would cite sometimes up to 8 sources, Trump would order his foot soldiers to track down the sources as he was on the phone with a new crop of people gossiping and inadvertently leaking about his own administration.
Trump is a broken and incompetent human of staggering proportions.
457
Yes, he is likely to have a breakdown.
4