Forceful Chief of Staff Grates on Trump, and the Feeling Is Mutual

[spanone]

WASHINGTON — President Trump was in an especially ornery mood after staff members gently suggested he refrain from injecting politics into day-to-day issues of governing after last month’s raucous rally in Arizona, and he responded by lashing out at the most senior aide in his presence.

It happened to be his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly.

Mr. Kelly, the former Marine general brought in five weeks ago as the successor to Reince Priebus, reacted calmly, but he later told other White House staff members that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country. In the future, he said, he would not abide such treatment, according to three people familiar with the exchange.

While Mr. Kelly has quickly brought some order to a disorganized and demoralized staff, he is fully aware of the president’s volcanic resentment about being managed, according to a dozen people close to Mr. Trump, and has treaded gingerly through the minefield of Mr. Trump’s psyche. But the president has still bridled at what he perceives as being told what to do.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/politics/john-kelly-trump.html?mcubz=0

[malaise]

1. Ah well he signed on for this crap

Fugg the 'collective pack'.

Soon it will move from words to violence.

[spanone]

2. he's uncontrollable. a 71 year old kindergartener.

[malaise]

3. He's raving mad

A total and complete narcissistic sociopath on steroids

[Roy Rolling]

15. It's the only empathy Trump deserves

A patient with a brain disease and behavioral disorder (old term "mental illness) is a sick and sometimes dangerous person. Without treatment for their disease, they should not be allowed to drive a bus, much less a country. And NEVER should they be given responsibility.

[MyOwnPeace]

4. Gen. Kelly..........

Next one through the revolving door - "You're Fired!"

[Alice11111]

33. Wow, we really need him to stay and tend to the nut house.

Damage countrol. The Main thing is when Trump has a bad day & decides to go for the codes, we can hope all of these generals around him have a plan.

[MyOwnPeace]

34. I agree!

It's like the Nixon "Saturday Night Massacre" - keep firing "em" until you find somebody willing to put up with this s**t!
With all of the horror stories of military overthrows who would have ever thought we'd be counting on "the military" to protect us from ourselves here at home!

[Alice11111]

38. Yes, I think of that irony a lot! The generals are our firewall,

we hope

[madaboutharry]

5. One paragraph in the article stood out;

"The chief of staff keeps his own counsel and travels light. He brought over only a small handful of staff members from the Department of Homeland Security, and confides to an even smaller circle, which includes Leon E. Panetta, for whom he served as a top aide when Mr. Panetta was defense secretary in the Obama administration."

Oh, how I would love to hear the conversations Kelly has with Panetta.

[Scarsdale]

20. I always liked

Leon Panetta. He seems so stable and sensible. Compared to tRump, just about anyone does.

[enough]

6. How pathetic that we have a "President" who needs to be managed. NT

[spanone]

10. and he sold himself as the great negotiator....he's useless

[3catwoman3]

27. He has no clue about real negotiating.

He only knows how to bully and threaten,

[Scarsdale]

19. Hopefully the day

will come soon when there will be an ADULT in the WH again. Of course, it goes without saying it will have to be a democratic president, since the gop always picks the dumbest among them.

[janterry]

7. I'll be most interested

in how these enablers discuss their tenure when all this is over (please let it be over!)

They'll write books about how they had no choice but to try to save the country from our idiot-in-chief.

I suppose they all have two choices - one resign and say why (they can't support an impeachable idiot) or try to salvage a bad situation. I've always hoped that they do the former, but Kelly is banking on the latter. We'll see how long he can hold on..............

[whathehell]

9. I'd have to disagree

with the assumption that they are all "enablers". A few might be getting involved to try and protect us from Trump's worse impulses.

[janterry]

11. It's true what you say

I guess the word comes from my bias (I want them to resign en masse and demand that congress act on impeachment).

[whathehell]

12. I think everyone here,

if not most of the country, understands your frustration. That said, I'd guess that, wishes aside, they have to act in accordance with the Constitution.
I myself, wait with baited breath for the results of Mueller's investigation.

[tomp]

13. I'm guessing that kelly is there, not because trump wants him there, but because ....

...the repubs want him there, that this is the gop's last stand against trump's insanity.

I'm guessing that if kelly goes, trump is gone too. just a hunch.

[whathehell]

14. You could be right. n/t

[janx]

24. Who installed him?

Do we even know?

[tomp]

30. I have no idea. as I said, just a hunch.

certainly he was already vetted and willing to serve as he was already at DHS.

But the difference between him and his predecessors is that he has been touted as a no nonsense military guy. that means he would either go along with what trump wanted or truly try to hold the administration together to avoid the ongoing series of scandals (and leaks, and general mayhem). I think the latter.

Did anyone think there was a person who could do that with trump? If there was such a person, does anyone think trump would welcome him with open arms? Wouldn't you think trump would need to have his arm twisted to allow someone other than a complete toady in that position?

What do you think will happen the next time trump starts yelling at kelly? if kelly leaves it will become absolutely clear that trump is uncontrollable and that, everyone will recognize is untenable on many levels.

[janx]

31. So maybe what Trump expected and what Trump got

were two different situations. It could be, as you suggest, that he expected some kind of loyal enforcer figure in the general, but what he got was someone who in fact enforced order--and him.

I am still tempted to think that his installation was on the advice of someone else in the administration or even Congress.

[tomp]

35. yes, my thoughts as well. nt

[JI7]

36. Kelly actually did help get rid of bannon gorka and a bunch of others

Who should not be there.

[janx]

37. Yes he did!

It seemed like his first order of business, in fact.

[madokie]

8. Sic 'em General

jerk a knot in his sorry ass. bring him to heel. You know as well as the rest of us do that he's a sorry SOB anyway

You know you can do it General, so as my grand child sometimes says, just do it

[Canoe52]

16. Sounds like the poor little orange baby needs his binky!

Mean ole general, please give lil donnie his binky!

[ginnyinWI]

17. but Trump is tweeting the praises of Kelly...

you know what that means: kiss of death!

[spanone]

18. Exactly!!!!

[Plucketeer]

21. Who'll be the next punching bag?

I'll bet there's at least one replacement waiting to be fed to the grinder!

[Buns_of_Fire]

22. Speaking of punching bags, I wonder what the legal ramifications are

for punching your Commander-in-Chief in the mouth?

Naw, Kelly wouldn't to that. He obviously has superhuman self-control (as he's already demonstrated). But I can't help thinking that it might have done Little Donnie a world of good to have been pummeled vigorously about the head and shoulders once or twice or (in his case) several dozen times during his younger years.

[Plucketeer]

39. Are there any suveillance cameras in the Oval Office?

OH! Mr. president! Did you fall and hit your desk?

[janx]

23. Priceless! Dear God!

"Mr. Kelly has told his staff, time and time again, that his goal is to rationalize the chaos that has engulfed the management of the West Wing. Managing Mr. Trump is beyond his — or anyone else’s — powers, he has said repeatedly."

Rationalize the chaos?

Is this an example of Kelly's sense of humor?

[Hekate]

26. "Rationalize the chaos " is just a grammatical structure. Trump creates chaos. Kelly is rational

General Kelly wants to create rational order out of insane chaos.

For those who have questioned his motives, I think he is trying to save the country, US government, and the US military from this madman.

[janx]

28. Yes, I considered that as a possibility--and it might even be a term

commonly used in the military. Still, it cracked me up Hekate!

I'm with you re his motives. That much is clear. Whose idea was it to put him there though? Did he volunteer? Did Congress get involved? I'm very curious.

[Hekate]

32. I hope we will someday know these things

Meanwhile, best of luck to General Kelly.

[ginnyinWI]

25. Mad King Donnie thrives on chaos.

He loves everyone to be fighting and squabbling; a White House in order and functioning just wouldn't suit him at all. He wants to govern sloppily and lazily and by default. He cares more about the looks of things than the actual substance. That's why lying is such a handy thing. He's gotten away with it his whole life, so why not continue. Kelly is his "mean dad" who won't let him do stuff. So he's going to rebel.

[JHB]

29. "bridled at what he perceives as being told what to do"...

Do I detect a " daddy issue" here?