NBC is out with a breaking report that White House staffers have leaked that Chief of Staff and former General John Kelly has said in meetings that President Trump is an “idiot.” Two items about this appear newsworthy.
One, that it leaked at all demonstrates that there are serious factions within the White House, one would think at least three. One faction would not want it known that anyone thinks that the President, often thought of as “the boss” in situations like this, is thought to be an idiot by the staff. The other faction would be those loyal to John Kelly, who may or may not want this leaked out. The third would be a group wholly opposed to Kelly and leak this precisely because they want Kelly fired. Whatever the motivation, it is hardly news that serious tensions exist between Donald Trump and his “chief of staff” – theoretically the second most important person in the building, including the Vice President.
This is not what Trump needs dominating the headlines right now, which might lend credence to the idea that this has been leaked by a Trump “enemy” or opponent. The White House would like to get a little more mileage out of playing the victim to the meanie comedian who humiliated Sarah Huckabee-Sanders over the weekend, and have their day in the sun with an “I told you so” moment regarding the media.
No more, this will now be the news until it is not. NBC is reporting that along with calling Trump an idiot, Kelly is alleged to have said that Trump does not even know what “DACA is” never mind have a policy upon it. We should recall that it is Kelly who is thought to be virulently anti-DACA and Trump who had been “seduced” by the Democrats with regard to the issue.
One thing we can be relatively positive about, Kelly will not get points with the boss for being honest, accurate, and upfront with the American people. We know that the White House does not place a premium upon such qualities even in good times, (are there good times in this White House?). Oh, one other thing we can be sure of, Donald Trump does not need another prominent “unfilled” position within the White House. Most White Houses consider senior advisors absolutely necessary, to say nothing about the critical nature of the Communications Director, and we have heard little to nothing about any of those positions being filled to this point. Hell, Trump cannot even hire lawyers right now. We can be sure that another firing, another opening, will not help the country, nor Trump.
Still, when an employee calls the boss an idiot and it hits the papers???
I agree with Kelly on this!