President Kelly raises Trump’s life long daddy issuesby digby
Nobody puts Trumpie in the corner:
When White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly stopped by the Oval Office to see President Trump late Wednesday, Kelly said he couldn’t stay long because reporters were in his office waiting for a briefing on immigration policy.
Deciding not to leave the session to his top aide, Trump walked down the hall minutes later and made a surprise appearance in Kelly’s office. The president proceeded to field a rush of questions on the Russia investigation with answers that rattled his lawyers and senior aides and left Kelly dealing with the fallout.
The episode illustrates the unusual and sometimes strained relationship between the garrulous president and his second chief of staff, who has imposed sharp restrictions on many of Trump’s friends — and even his children — as Kelly seeks to direct the flow of information and influence in the Oval Office.
Trump has at times bristled at the restrictions and, in recent weeks, has openly chafed at the idea that Kelly, not he, is effectively running the business of the White House, associates say. Kelly stayed behind in Washington this week while Trump traveled to the Davos global summit in Switzerland — a change of plans that prompted notice among those close to Trump.
Yet the two also remain close in many ways, making the up-and-down dynamics a guessing game for those who work with them. While the two men fight and swear at each other at times, Kelly sees Trump more than anyone else, and confidants say the volatility in their relationship is natural. Trump has often interrupted meetings to ask Kelly’s opinion and has told others he respects the former Marine general’s time in the military and his stature, according to White House officials and people who know them.
White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly has often clashed with President Trump, but the president respects Kelly’s time in the military and stature, aides say. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
“Is that right?” Trump asked Kelly a number of times during a recent meeting, seeking his perspective as they met with Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Raúl R. Labrador (R-Idaho), according to people with knowledge of the meeting.Trump critics have questioned whether Kelly’s style of managing the president is always best. While he has sometimes kept bad information from getting to the president, he has also intervened to block bipartisan deals that Trump wanted to strike on immigration and reinforced some of the president’s most contentious positions. Several of Trump’s most controversial and racially incendiary moments — such as his remarks last summer after riots in Charlottesville and his recent disparaging comments about African nations — also came as Kelly looked on.
Trump has lashed out when he feels Kelly is getting too much credit or taking too much of the spotlight, friends and associates said. The president was furious last week when Kelly said Trump was “uninformed” in his call for a border wall during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to two people familiar with those discussions, who requested anonymity to describe Trump’s reaction.
“A lot of people know the border wall is the dumbest idea,” said Chris Whipple, author of a book on presidential chiefs of staff. “Kelly made the mistake of saying it aloud on Fox.”
Trump has joked to associates that Kelly has cut his phone line, outside advisers said. He has told friends that he can come by “only if the general approves.” And the president has complained that he never sees staff members anymore and occasionally sits in the office alone, aides said.
“As long as you’re being useful to the president, then he’s more likely to keep you around,” said Ed Brookover, a longtime campaign adviser. “But you can’t ever forget that we have initials, too: JFS. We’re ‘just freaking staff.’ ”
One reason Trump stays in the personal residence section of the White House so late every morning — sometimes until after 10 a.m. — is because he has access to his phone and has fewer restrictions, associates say. Kelly has told others he is fine with such “executive time,” as it is referred to on his schedule.
This isn’t going to last. Trump loves the generals but he can’t take being told what to do. There are a lot of reports like this. Vanity Fair had this one last week:
“The more Kelly plays up that he’s being the adult in the room—that it’s basically combat duty and he’s serving the country—that kind of thing drives Trump nuts,” a Republican close to the White House said. In recent days, Trump has fumed to friends that Kelly acts like he’s running the government while Trump tweets and watches television. “I’ve got another nut job here who thinks he’s running things,” Trump told one friend, according to a Republican briefed on the call. A second source confirmed that Trump has vented about Kelly, mentioning one call in which Trump said, “This guy thinks he’s running the show.”
Personally I think Kelly is a malignant force in the White House because he’s all in on Trump’s white nationalist agenda. He’s a xenophobe of long standing and a hard core drug warrior. On the other hand, the real problem is Trump. No matter who he hires, the administration will be total mess.
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