Trump’s four-star bully chief of staff John Kelly was a traitor within

My View From the Oval Office

Please enjoy this article about one of the biggest bullies and traitors as it appears in The Blaze at:

Here’s the article SUMMARY:

Peter Navarro, a former Trump administration official, argues that John Kelly, Trump's former Chief of Staff, was a "traitor within" who undermined the president's agenda and ultimately failed in his role. Navarro accuses Kelly of obstructing Trump's trade policies, disobeying the chain of command, and mistreating other members of the administration. He further claims that Kelly was incompetent in his management of the White House, particularly in his interactions with the media and his handling of staff members with past allegations of misconduct. Navarro's article is a scathing critique of Kelly's leadership, framed as a betrayal of trust and a deliberate effort to hinder Trump's presidency.

Here’s the article:

Requiem for a Four-Star Bully and Coward John F. Kelly

Noone knows former Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly better than I.  Here’s why this bitter bullying coward of a man should be tossed into the dust bin of history for yet again trashing Donald Trump now just days before the most important election in modern American history.

Here, it may be reasonable to assume a four-star general would make a good chief of staff.  Yet, that is a deeply flawed assumption.

Four-star generals like Kelly typically reach the pinnacle of their profession because they are generally the sharpest tools in their military shed. Yet put Kelly in a room in the West Wing with uber-elite civilians drawn from academia, the corporate world, and Wall Street, and Kelly was always the dumbest guy in the West Wing.

On Kelly’s leadership, I would physically have to steel myself every time I got a call from his office as it would inevitably mean some type of abuse or threat.  Some men lead by inspiration.  Some try to lead by intimidation. Kelly was clearly the latter; and I can’t imagine serving under his command in a combat situation.

Yet, Kelly’s flawed leadership qualities weren’t what was most concerning. Rather, it was Kelly’s utter failure to obey  his Commander in Chief -- and therefore the chain of command.

Four-star Kelly (along with General Mad Dog Mattis at the Pentagon) knew, above all else, that without an ironclad respect for, and adherence to, the chain of command, the military would fall apart in a heartbeat. Yet once Kelly and Mattis got to the pinnacle of civilian power, they figured no one was above them, apparently not even their President.

Kelly would routinely subvert the President’s trade agenda.  If my old boss told Kelly to get an executive order immediately ready to impose steel and aluminum tariffs or tariffs on China, Kelly would invariably slow walk the actions with an extended review process.

Kelly did the same kind of thing whenever the Boss tried to get trading partners like South Korea and Japan to stop screwing us in the trade arena.   Both Kelly and Mattis didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize the military alliances with these countries, oblivious to the reality that if they gutted our economy and manufacturing base, we wouldn’t be able to defend any other country, much less ourselves.

Why else was Kelly so opposed to the Trump trade agenda?   Because Kelly had no training in economics, he easily fell prey to the facile Globalism of the globalist wing of the West Wing – principally National Economic Council Directors Gary Cohn and Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin – all of whom sought to block POTUS’s trade policy.

Because Kelly had no training in politics, he failed to understand the importance of trade policy in holding the high political ground of Blue Wall manufacturing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan that Trump had won the election with in 2016.

Because Kelly did not know how to “let Trump be Trump” – as the great Corey Lewandowski once advised – there was no way in Hades Captain Queeq Kelly was going to let anyone with deviant trade policy thoughts anywhere near the Oval Office.

To that end, Kelly regularly eavesdropped on phone calls to POTUS.  Kelly also poured over the overnight phone logs and if somebody like me called the boss, we would get threatened with firing.

Kelly was also totally incompetent with the media.  Hiring Kelly was like a trucker driving a Formula One car. With his thick Boston accent, a smile always missing in action, and “I don’t suffer fools from the media gladly” tattoos stuck on both his forehead and sleeves, Kelly was simply incapable of messaging anything to the press.

One of Kelly’s most negligent acts was to hide the dirty big secret about Staff Secretary Rob Porter.  Porter had two strikes of spousal abuse alleged against him, he couldn’t get a security clearance, yet he was handling documents of the highest national security and interacting with the president on a daily basis.  That Kelly hid this alone was a fire able offense.

Kelly invariably hated those closest to Trump.  As Chief of Staff, he single-handedly turned Trump allies Omarosa Gault and Anthony Scaramucci into bitter and viperous enemies with his mistreatment of each. 

My lasting memory of Kelly was him sitting at my right shoulder on December 2, 2018, at the end of a long table in Buenos Aries, Argentina with President Trump in the center.  Across from us were our counterparts from the Chinese Communist trade side.

Before the meeting began, a by-then broken Kelly, no doubt aware of his soon to be exit, apologized for treating me so poorly. In doing so, he further acknowledged he had failed to see what George Bush might have called the real evildoers in the West Wing.

Now, it both saddens and infuriates me to see Kelly play the court jester to the New York Times King of Spin.  I thought the Biden-Harris regime’s tragic mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal where Kelly’s own son died in combat might have brought Kelly out of his hated-filled and vengeful derangement.  But I was wrong.  And so is the cowardly bully Kelly about Donald John Trump.

Peter Navarro served for four years in the Trump White House and 519 days under John Kelly.  This article is based on Navarro’s memoir Taking Back Trump’s America.  Follow Peter at www.substack.com

Here’s a FUN QUIZ

Trump's Chief of Staff: A Critical Analysis

Short Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

1. According to Peter Navarro, what were John Kelly's primary shortcomings as Trump's Chief of Staff?

2. How did Kelly's military background influence his approach to the role?

3. What specific examples does Navarro provide of Kelly obstructing Trump's agenda?

4. Why does Navarro criticize Kelly's handling of the Rob Porter situation?

5. How did Kelly's personality and demeanor affect his ability to interact with the media?

6. According to Navarro, what was Kelly's attitude towards Trump allies?

7. How does Navarro contrast Kelly's approach to leadership with that of other leaders?

8. What incident does Navarro describe that suggests a shift in Kelly's perspective near the end of his tenure?

Short Answer Quiz Answer Key

1. Navarro argues that Kelly was incompetent, a bully, and disloyal to the President. He claims Kelly lacked the necessary skills for the job, alienated allies, and routinely undermined Trump's policies.

2. Kelly's military background instilled in him a rigid adherence to the chain of command, which paradoxically led him to disregard the authority of the President, his superior in the civilian chain of command.

3. Navarro cites Kelly's delays and obstruction of Trump's trade agenda, particularly regarding tariffs on steel, aluminum, and Chinese goods, as well as his resistance to confronting unfair trade practices by South Korea and Japan.

4. Navarro condemns Kelly for covering up accusations of spousal abuse against staff secretary Rob Porter, allowing Porter continued access to sensitive information despite lacking security clearance.

5. Navarro describes Kelly as lacking the charisma and communication skills necessary for effective media engagement. He points to Kelly's gruff demeanor, lack of warmth, and noticeable disdain for the press as hindering his ability to convey the administration's message.

6. Navarro claims Kelly held contempt for those close to Trump, actively turning allies like Omarosa Manigault and Anthony Scaramucci into enemies through his abrasive and disrespectful treatment.

7. Navarro contrasts Kelly's leadership style, which he characterizes as reliant on intimidation and threats, with that of leaders who inspire and motivate their teams.

8. Navarro recounts an incident in Buenos Aires where Kelly, on the verge of leaving his position, apologized for his mistreatment of Navarro and admitted failing to identify the true "evildoers" in the West Wing.

Essay Questions

1. Analyze the rhetorical strategies employed by Peter Navarro to discredit John Kelly and, by extension, Donald Trump. Consider Navarro's tone, use of language, and selection of evidence.

2. Examine the implications of Kelly's military background for his performance as Chief of Staff. To what extent did his adherence to military principles conflict with the demands of his civilian role?

3. Evaluate Navarro's assessment of Kelly's competence. Do you find his critique convincing? Why or why not? Support your answer with specific examples from the text.

4. Explore the ethical dilemmas presented by Kelly's alleged cover-up of Rob Porter's misconduct. What factors might have influenced Kelly's decision to protect Porter? What are the potential consequences of such a decision?

5. Discuss the potential impact of this article on public perception of Donald Trump. How might this article influence voters in the upcoming election?

Glossary of Key Terms

• Chief of Staff: The highest-ranking member of a President's personal staff, responsible for managing the Executive Office and advising the President on a wide range of issues.

• Chain of Command: A hierarchical structure in which orders are passed down from superiors to subordinates.

• Executive Order: A directive issued by the President that has the force of law.

• Tariff: A tax imposed on imported goods, often used to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.

• Globalist: A term used pejoratively to describe individuals or policies that prioritize international cooperation and free trade over national interests.

• Blue Wall States: Traditionally Democratic-leaning states in the Midwest, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, that were crucial to Trump's victory in the 2016 election.

• Security Clearance: A government-granted authorization that allows individuals to access classified information after undergoing a background check.

• Spousal Abuse: Physical, emotional, or psychological abuse directed at a spouse or partner.

• Court Jester: A figure who provides amusement through jokes and antics, often used metaphorically to describe someone who is ridiculed or dismissed.

• Memoir: A non-fiction account of the author's own life experiences.