Former Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly Confirms Prior Reporting of Trump's Remarks

[wing2000]

[John Kelly is the former US Army General (over Southern Command) who later served as Donald Trump's Chief of Staff]


"Kelly set the record straight with on-the-record confirmation of a number of damning stories about statements Trump made behind closed doors attacking US service members and veterans, listing a number of objectionable comments Kelly witnessed Trump make firsthand.

“What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly said, when asked if he wanted to weigh in on his former boss in light of recent comments made by other former Trump officials. “A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.

“A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women,” Kelly continued. “A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.

“There is nothing more that can be said,” Kelly concluded. “God help us.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/politics/john-kelly-donald-trump-us-service-members-veterans/index.html

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

“There is nothing more that can be said,” Kelly concluded. “God help us.”

Amen!

 

[Vambram]

I am a staff sergeant in the Missouri Army National Guard. Prior to being in the Guard, I served in the US Army for 14 years. I was deployed twice to Iraq for 1 year tours of Duty.
I believe Kelly has an anti-Trump agenda. The high ranking officers are more concerned about being politically correct than they are about taking care of the soldiers. I know this is true.

When he was president, Donald Trump had a very, very high amount of popular support from Servicemembers in the USA military. And I don't believe anything that Kelly said in that CNN article. I have absolutely ZERO respect for Kelly who speaks in lies and half-truths.

 

[Yttrium]

I am a staff sergeant in the Missouri Army National Guard. Prior to being in the Guard, I served in the US Army for 14 years. I was deployed twice to Iraq for 1 year tours of Duty.
I believe Kelly has an anti-Trump agenda. The high ranking officers are more concerned about being politically correct than they are about taking care of the soldiers. I know this is true.

When he was president, Donald Trump had a very, very high amount of popular support from Servicemembers in the USA military. And I don't believe anything that Kelly said in that CNN article. I have absolutely ZERO respect for Kelly who speaks in lies and half-truths.

It's strange how many former Trump cabinet members are now considered anti-Trump. You'd think Trump would be more discerning with his cabinet picks... or... it's almost like Trump did things in office that disillusioned his cabinet members.

Well, we haven't heard Ben Carson say anything bad about Trump, so not everybody was a rabid anti-Trump infiltrator, at least.

 

[JustOneWay]

I have absolutely ZERO respect for Kelly who speaks in lies and half-truths.

That is how many of us think of trump. The only difference is trumps lies are documented.

 

[wing2000]

I believe Kelly has an anti-Trump agenda. The high ranking officers are more concerned about being politically correct than they are about taking care of the soldiers. I know this is true.

I think Kelly is a man of his word. Unless you served under his command , I'll take your comments as an uninformed opinion.

 

[Vambram]

I wrote my generalization about the vast majority of highest ranking officers. I am not shocked that civilians disagree with me. However, if you talk with veterans and also those who are currently serving in the military, I have no doubts that you will find many rank and file Servicemembers who actually do the work will also agree with my generalization.

I am NOT uniformed. That I promise you all.

 

[keith99]

I wrote my generalization about the vast majority of highest ranking officers. I am not shocked that civilians disagree with me. However, if you talk with veterans and also those who are currently serving in the military, I have no doubts that you will find many rank and file Servicemembers who actually do the work will also agree with my generalization.

I am NOT uniformed. That I promise you all.

A staff sergeant who is not UNIFORMED! Interesting!

 

[Vambram]

A staff sergeant who is not UNIFORMED! Interesting!

I challenge those who appear to be mocking me to please talk with veterans. I will be shocked if veterans from the last 20 years tell you all that they truly trust the generals.

I am absolutely 1000% certain that soldiers with more than 10 years experience in the military are extremely more well informed about our military than 95% of the civilians who have never ever served in the military.

 

[keith99]

I challenge those who appear to be mocking me to please talk with veterans. I will be shocked if veterans from the last 20 years tell you all that they truly trust the generals.

I am absolutely 1000% certain that soldiers with more than 10 years experience in the military are extremely more well informed about our military than 95% of the civilians who have never ever served in the military.

But obviously have limited reading ability!

 

[wing2000]

I challenge those who appear to be mocking me to please talk with veterans. I will be shocked if veterans from the last 20 years tell you all that they truly trust the generals.

I am absolutely 1000% certain that soldiers with more than 10 years experience in the military are extremely more well informed about our military than 95% of the civilians who have never ever served in the military.

I am absolutely certain the former president considers us veterans as suckers.

 

[wing2000]

..well maybe not since we didn't die.

"The Atlantic article also described Trump’s 2018 visit to France for the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I, where, according to several senior staff members, Trump said he did not want to visit the graves of American soldiers buried in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris because, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” During that same trip to France, the article reported, Trump said the 1,800 US Marines killed in the Belleau Wood were “suckers” for getting killed."

 

[Yttrium]

I challenge those who appear to be mocking me to please talk with veterans. I will be shocked if veterans from the last 20 years tell you all that they truly trust the generals.

I am absolutely 1000% certain that soldiers with more than 10 years experience in the military are extremely more well informed about our military than 95% of the civilians who have never ever served in the military.

I also served in the military for 14 years. I... Oh, wait, you said veterans from the last 20 years. Now I'm feeling so old. Well, I never trusted the generals to run things properly. Always coming up with new management schemes to supposedly save millions of dollars just to pad their performance reports while making things more of a burden for the troops. Still, those guys were in long enough to gain a healthy respect for the US Constitution, which they swore to defend. I wouldn't write off their integrity so lightly and certainly not so universally. But I'm admittedly out of date.

 

[keith99]

I'd trust General Marshal over any politician and over Trump by so many miles that he is over the horizon.

I would hope and expect any academy graduate would have a healthy respect for the constitution.

 

[SimplyMe]

I also served in the military for 14 years. I... Oh, wait, you said veterans from the last 20 years. Now I'm feeling so old. Well, I never trusted the generals to run things properly. Always coming up with new management schemes to supposedly save millions of dollars just to pad their performance reports while making things more of a burden for the troops. Still, those guys were in long enough to gain a healthy respect for the US Constitution, which they swore to defend. I wouldn't write off their integrity so lightly and certainly not so universally. But I'm admittedly out of date.

I'll second this, though I'm also now an "old" Veteran. And it is interesting how, even after Kelly left the White House (unlike most of Trump's White House) that Trump still routinely praised him. I'll also note that you could tell how Trump felt about POWs with the way he always referred to John McCain. Remember that there are plenty of Trump's own quotes to affirm what Kelly said, such as Trump saying that he preferred people who weren't captured.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he should have loved or agreed with McCain and his politics; I'm saying that Trump denigrated McCain, not by complaining about specific McCain policies/beliefs, but because he had served in the military and was shot down by an adversary.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

I challenge those who appear to be mocking me to please talk with veterans. I will be shocked if veterans from the last 20 years tell you all that they truly trust the generals.

I am absolutely 1000% certain that soldiers with more than 10 years experience in the military are extremely more well informed about our military than 95% of the civilians who have never ever served in the military.

I know plenty of pro-Trump and anti-Trump active and vets and I work at a VAMC. I hear a LOT.

One former co-worker and Army vet (Desert Storm and Kosovo) wrote this yesterday:

If you are an American and still vote for Trump after his blatant disgust and disregard for the POWs, killed action, gold star families…and sees no reason for traditional military ceremonies for the fallen…..AND doesn’t want to be photographed with disabled veterans…you are NOT AN AMERICAN! Stop lying to yourself

 

[Vambram]

..well maybe not since we didn't die.

"The Atlantic article also described Trump’s 2018 visit to France for the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I, where, according to several senior staff members, Trump said he did not want to visit the graves of American soldiers buried in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris because, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” During that same trip to France, the article reported, Trump said the 1,800 US Marines killed in the Belleau Wood were “suckers” for getting killed."

By witnesses who were actually there, the derogatory contents of that Atlantic article have been debunked as false.

 

[Vambram]

I know plenty of pro-Trump and anti-Trump active and vets and I work at a VAMC. I hear a LOT.

One former co-worker and Army vet (Desert Storm and Kosovo) wrote this yesterday:

If you are an American and still vote for Trump after his blatant disgust and disregard for the POWs, killed action, gold star families…and sees no reason for traditional military ceremonies for the fallen…..AND doesn’t want to be photographed with disabled veterans…you are NOT AN AMERICAN! Stop lying to yourself

I want to see real and completely honest evidence about this. Please show me the facts. I really do want to see factual evidence. Then, I can be persuaded to change my opinion about Donald Trump.

 

[Vambram]

I'll second this, though I'm also now an "old" Veteran. And it is interesting how, even after Kelly left the White House (unlike most of Trump's White House) that Trump still routinely praised him. I'll also note that you could tell how Trump felt about POWs with the way he always referred to John McCain. Remember that there are plenty of Trump's own quotes to affirm what Kelly said, such as Trump saying that he preferred people who weren't captured.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he should have loved or agreed with McCain and his politics; I'm saying that Trump denigrated McCain, not by complaining about specific McCain policies/beliefs, but because he had served in the military and was shot down by an adversary.

McCain was probably a "never-Trumper" and he was also an establishment elite Senator for a long time. However, I never did agree with Donald Trump denigrating McCain simply because the man was a Vietnam War POW. Negative criticisms towards POWs are never one with which I would agree; unless the POW turned out to be a traitor. I am certain that McCain was not a traitor.

 

[wing2000]

By witnesses who were actually there, the derogatory contents of that Atlantic article have been debunked as false.

Citation?