WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly pauses during a daily news briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House October 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. In a rare appearance at the news briefing Kelly stated he had no plans to resign or reason to believe he would be fired. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly denied calling President Donald Trump an “idiot” after reports saying that Kelly insulted the president surfaced on Monday afternoon.
Four officials, both past and present, told NBC News that Kelly repeatedly referred to Trump as an idiot. Eight officials said Kelly portrayed himself as a saving grace of the United States. Kelly reportedly also questioned Trump’s knowledge on immigration policy.
SLIDESHOW: DONALD TRUMP’S 30 CRAZIEST TWEETS
“He doesn’t even understand what DACA is,” Kelly said, according to NBC News. “He’s an idiot.”
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.
Officials also told NBC that Kelly made remarks about women, such as saying that women are more emotional than men, that made female White House staffers uncomfortable.
Kelly denied questioning Trump’s intelligence in a statement.
“I spend more time with the President than anyone else and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship,” Kelly said. “He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS. I am committed to the President, his agenda and our country. This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administration’s many successes.”
While Kelly and Trump previously had an amicable relationship, it seems to have dwindled, as Trump reportedly considered firing Kelly — his third Chief of Staff thus far in his presidency — and taking on the role himself.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3ZUtrFbEfUU The United States deported more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to…
The United States is reportedly preparing to potentially give Russia sanctions relief as President Donald Trump seeks…
After rescinding broader layoffs in mid-February, President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk have purged 50 workers from the Department of Energy.…
Eighty thousand federal workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were emailed with…
The $200 million tax-payer financed Department of Homeland Security ad campaign that aired in late…
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ng5OC-49f6o A crowd containing many veterans protested against the policies of President Donald Trump in Edina, Minnesota,…