White House chief of staff John Kelly, who is leaving his post on Monday after 17 months, has frequently told people that Donald Trump was not up to the role of being president, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
The Times, citing two former administration officials, also reported that Kelly was known to tell aides that he had the “worst job in the world."
Kelly has been criticized for failing to change Trump into a more conventional president who would adhere to norms, but the outgoing chief of staff suggested to the Los Angeles Times that his tenure should be judged not on the moves that Trump did take, but on the one he did not do.
For example, Kelly has been credited by supporters with slowing or stopping the president from carrying out numerous impulsive actions, such as withdrawing from NATO.
Kelly has also backed up assertions by former secretary of state Rex Tillerson that Trump often pressed against the legal boundaries of his role.
However, Kelly said Trump never ordered him to do anything illegal, and that he would have quit if the president had done so.
Kelly also denied reports that Trump had not been given information before making decisions.
Instead, Kelly said that Trump received a wide range of information, but goes with his instincts anyway, explaining that “You may not like his decision, but at least he was fully informed on the impact.”
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