Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee on Monday praised the appointment of Gen. John Kelly to President Donald Trump's chief of staff.
"He's a patriot. He's disciplined. He's focused. He has put service and duty above himself and has made great sacrifices for this country, even putting his own life in harm's way. He understands what mission means," Huckabee said Monday on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" morning program.
"He understands what it means to organize people and to be responsible for the lives of men and women and to know that if he doesn't lead well, somebody actually dies," Huckabee said.
The former governor's comments on Kelly were in response to Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who, on Friday, tweeted that Kelly was "militarizing the White House."
"As Homeland Security director, Gen. Kelly was involved in actually enforcing the law that she and other members of Congress put in place," Huckabee added.
Lee's comments are "disrespectful to every single person in uniform," the former governor said.
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