President Donald Trump ripped into John Kelly Thursday, saying the former White House chief of staff “just can’t keep his mouth shut.”
The president’s comments came in two tweets Thursday. The remarks were made after The Atlantic reported that Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was doing his duty as a soldier by reporting his concerns about the phone call that was the central piece of evidence in the impeachment effort against Trump.
“He did exactly what we teach them to do from cradle to grave," Kelly said.
Vindman was escorted from his White House office Friday and is to be transferred to another military job.
But Trump appeared to take issue with Kelly’s comments.
He wrote: “When I terminated John Kelly, which I couldn’t do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head. Being Chief of Staff just wasn’t for him. He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut, which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do.
“His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that “John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you.” Wrong!”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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