Former White House chief of staff John Kelly is defending those who work in the White House, saying most of them are “decent people.”
The Atlantic’s Peter Nicholas spoke to former White House officials, including Kelly, and published their remarks on their past work in a piece titled, “Was It Worth It?” on Friday.
President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff told Nicholas, “The vast majority of people who worked in the White House were decent people who were doing the best they could to serve the nation.”
Kelly continued, “They’ve unfortunately paid quite a price for that in reputation and future employment. They don’t deserve that.”
He added:
“They deserve better than that, because they kept the train from careening off the tracks.”
Additionally, Kelly noted that “the climate — the work environment — is always set by the boss,” adding, “And people, generally speaking, endured it as long as they could. Until they couldn’t.”
Kelly’s remarks received some criticism, including from Joe Walsh, who ran an uphill Republican primary challenge against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
He wrote on Twitter, “Bullshit John Kelly. You [and] these ‘decent’ people who worked in the White House knew he was unfit. You all had a duty to speak publicly.”
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton — who has frequently criticized Trump — also told The Atlantic that Trump “wasn’t prepared when he went in, and on January 20, he’ll be barely more prepared than when he started.”
Additionally, former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe took aim at Trump during The Atlantic interview, “There’s an allure to being part of the White House and working close to the president — even when that president is someone as despicable as Donald Trump.”
Nicholas noted that he spoke with “nine seasoned officials, credentialed lawyers, flameouts, worker bees, operatives,” as he writes, and they all said it was worth it.
