White House Chief of Staff John Kelly firmly pushed back Thursday on a proliferating political and media narrative that his role is that of head teacher in a ‘day care’ White House where the most unruly pupil is the president of the United States.
‘It’s funny, I read in the paper – you all know you write it – that I’ve been a failure at controlling the president, or a failure at controlling his tweeting and all that,’ Kelly said – as he faced the White House press corps and provided assurances that he was neither quitting nor getting fired.
‘I was not brought to this job to control anything but the flow of information to our president so that he can make the best decisions,’ Kelly said.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly attends a news conference in which he spoke on relief aid in Puerto Rico, Trump’s nuclear policy and North Korea, among other issues. He said he was not brought in to ‘control’ the president
Kelly elected to explain his after a week of reports on turmoil within the White House, fueled by comments from Republican Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker comparing the White House to ‘adult day care’ and casting Kelly as one of a trio of senior figures averting ‘chaos.’
‘I have found that Mr. Trump, from the day I met him, is a decisive guy, he’s a very thoughtful man, I should say,’ Kelly reassured the press that the president only the day before slammed as ‘fake news’ while labeling it ‘disgusting’ that the press ‘is able to write whatever they want.’
‘He takes information in from every avenue he can receive it,’ said Kelly.
Kelly also denied that he has become the ultimate Oval Office gatekeeper, despite numerous reports that among his first acts was ending the all-access passes enjoyed by Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and other officials. Officials now must go through Kelly to see the president.
President Donald Trump walks with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to greet welcomes Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House in Washington, U.S. October 11, 2017. Kelly denied keeping anyone out of the Oval Office
Kelly also pushed back at descriptions of his roll as an Oval Office gatekeeper
Kelly also pushed back at descriptions of his roll as an Oval Office gatekeeper
‘I restrict no one by the way from going in to see him. But when we go into see him now, rather than onesies and twosies, we go in and help him collectively understand what he needs to understand to make these vital decisions,’ Kelly explained.
Kelly also took pains to describe how he wished his own performance to be measured – making sure it wasn’t counted against him every time the president tweets.
‘I was not brought in to control him and you should not measure my effectiveness as a chief of staff by what you think I should be doing, but simply, the fact is, I can guarantee you that he is now presented with options, well thought out options,’ he explained.
‘Those options are discussed in detail with his team and then he comes up with the right decision,’ Kelly said, saying the focus was always on protecting the nation.
Kelly described the president as a ‘thoughtful man’
hite House Chief of Staff John Kelly fielded questions from the press and denied he was quitting or ‘being fired today’
Kelly said it was better to have groups provide advice to the president rather than coming in in ‘onesies and twosies’
Kelly also made quips about his own facial expressions, which have led some to conclude he had concerns about the president’s comments
Kelly also made quips about his own facial expressions, which have led some to conclude he had concerns about the president’s comments
He also said he wouldn’t quit or get fired.
‘I would just offer to you that although I read it all the time pretty consistently, I’m not quitting today. I don’t believe, and I just talked to the president, I don’t think I’m being fired today. And I’m not so frustrated in this job that I’m thinking of leaving,’ he said at the top of a rare appearance in the White House briefing room.
‘I would tell you, this is the hardest job I’ve ever had. This is in my view the most important job I’ve ever had. I would offer, though, it is not the best job I’ve ever had. The best job I’ve ever had, as I’ve said many times, is when I was an enlisted marine sergeant infantryman. That was the best job I ever had had. So unless things change, I’m not quitting, I’m not getting fired. And I don’t think I’ll fire anyone tomorrow,’ he quipped.