White
House chief of staff John Kelly has eroded morale in the West Wing in recent
months with comments to aides that include insulting the president’s
intelligence and casting himself as the savior of the country, according to
eight current and former White House officials.
The
officials said Kelly portrays himself to Trump administration aides as the
lone bulwark against catastrophe, curbing the erratic urges of a president
who has a questionable grasp on policy issues and the functions of
government. He has referred to Trump as "an idiot" multiple times
to underscore his point, according to four officials who say they've
witnessed the comments. "He says stuff you can't believe," said one
senior White House official. "He'll say it and you think, 'that is not
what you should be saying.'"
Three
White House spokespeople said they had never heard Kelly call the president
an "idiot" or otherwise use that word. The private manner aides
describe may shed new light on why Kelly now finds himself — just nine months
into the job — grappling with diminished influence and a drumbeat of
questions about how long he’ll remain at the White House.
NBC Breaking News Alert |
