Skip to main content
Tags: trump | johnkelly | whitehouse | chiefofstaff

Trump Derides Ex-Aide Kelly as Possible Source for False Rumor He Trashed Fallen Soldiers

Trump Derides Ex-Aide Kelly as Possible Source for False Rumor He Trashed Fallen Soldiers
White House chief of staff John Kelly listens as President Donald Trump speaks at a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room in 2017. (Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)

By    |   Friday, 04 September 2020 09:05 PM EDT

President Donald Trump thinks his former chief of staff, John Kelly, might be an anonymous source in this week's Atlantic article reporting that he'd once referred to fallen soldiers as "suckers" and "losers" -- a claim the president has emphatically denied.

"I don't know that it was him. I haven't seen that. I mean, I see anonymous, but it could have been a guy like a John Kelly," Trump said during a press conference.

"I know John Kelly, he was with me, didn’t do a good job, had no temperament and ultimately he was petered out,” Trump said.

Trump said he asked Kelly to resign due to his poor performance in his White House role.

“I told him, ‘John, you’re going to have to go. Please give me your letter of resignation.’ And we did that. And now he goes out and badmouths,” Trump said.

“He got — was exhausted. This man was totally exhausted, he wasn’t even able to function in the last number of months. He was not able to function. He was sort of a tough guy. By the time he got eaten up in this world — it’s a different world than he was used to, he was unable to function.”

In January 2019, Kelly exited the White House after 17 months on the job. He described the job as holding back the president’s policy urges following hectic early months marked by intraoffice fighting between other staff members

In reference to Kelly's addresses to reporters, Trump said: “You look at some of his news conferences, what happened to him. He got eaten alive. he was unable to handle the pressure of this.”

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


US
President Donald Trump thinks his former chief of staff, John Kelly, might be an anonymous source in this week's Atlantic article reporting that he'd once referred to fallen soldiers as "suckers" and "losers" -- a claim the president has emphatically denied.
trump, johnkelly, whitehouse, chiefofstaff
275
2020-05-04
Friday, 04 September 2020 09:05 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved