Trump lashes out over Kelly criticism: ‘He misses the action’

President Trump on Thursday tore into his former chief of staff John Kelly, deriding his job performance and accusing him of breaching decorum after Kelly openly criticized the president’s rhetoric and decisionmaking. 

Trump lashed out at Kelly after reports circulated that his former chief of staff and Homeland Security secretary defended migrants, the press and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was reassigned from his post after testifying against Trump in the impeachment inquiry.

“When I terminated John Kelly, which I couldn’t do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head. Being Chief of Staff just wasn’t for him,” Trump tweeted. “He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut, which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do.”

The president went on to claim Kelly’s wife told him the former administration official and four-star general respected him “greatly” and “will only speak well of” him.

….which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do. His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that “John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you.” Wrong!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2020

Trump nominated Kelly to serve as his Homeland Security secretary before appointing him chief of staff in July 2017. He stayed on in that role for roughly 17 months, stepping down at the end of 2018.

Trump has a tendency to lash out at former administration officials who openly criticize him, having tweeted angrily about former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former national security adviser John Bolton and former communications director Anthony Scaramucci, among others.

Kelly appeared Wednesday night at a Drew University event in New Jersey, where he laid out a number of disagreements with Trump’s policies and comments.

Kelly defended Vindman, saying he acted properly in reporting his concerns with Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president. He said the media is “not the enemy of the people,” dismissing an attack frequently deployed by the president. Kelly described migrants as “overwhelmingly good people,” an implicit rebuke of Trump’s warnings of dangerous caravans and the need to curb immigration. 

Kelly’s tenure was marked by his turbulent relationship with Trump. Kelly tried to rein in some of the president’s more impulsive behavior and curb leaks within the White House, but the administration continued to struggle with infighting and controversy.

His successor, Mick Mulvaney, has been acting chief of staff for more than 400 days. Mulvaney has in the past been critical of Kelly’s approach to the job, saying it hurt morale.