President Donald Trump lashed out at his former chief of staff, John Kelly, after he said Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was doing his job by voicing concerns about the presidentâs now-infamous phone with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump claimed on Twitter on Thursday that Kelly, who left the position at the end of 2018, was in âway over his headâ and âmisses the action.â
âWhen I terminated John Kelly, which I couldnât do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head. Being Chief of Staff just wasnât for him. He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many Xâs, he misses the action just canât keep his mouth shut.â
Additionally, Trump claimed that Kellyâs wife, Karen, told him her husband would âonly speak well of youâ after he left the position.
At an event at Drew University on Wednesday, Kelly defended Vindmanâs decision to report his concerns about Trumpâs July 25 phone call to his superiors, âHe did exactly what we teach them to do from cradle to grave.â
Kelly has previously spoken out about the Impeachment inquiry, Last fall he said he warned Trump against hiring a âyes manâ to be his chief of staff.
âI said, whatever you do, donât hire a âyes man,â someone who wonât tell you the truth â donât do that,â he said, adding, âBecause if you do, I believe you will be impeached.â
In response to those comments, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed that Kelly was âtotally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president.â
Trump denied that Kelly ever issued such a warning, âJohn Kelly never said that, he never said anything like that.â
âIf he would have said that, I would have thrown him out of the office. He just wants to come back into the action like everybody else does,â he added.
Additionally, Kelly commented on recent reporting that former National Security Advisor John Bolton wrote in a draft of his new book that Trump told him military aid to Ukraine was contingent on an investigation of Democrats.
âIf John Bolton says that in the book I believe John Bolton,â Kelly said.
