Report: Trump Is Giving Staffers Assignments And Asking Them Not To Tell Kelly
  • 6 years ago
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that President Trump has given assignments to the White House staff, while telling them not to share plans with John Kelly.

While White House chief of staff John Kelly has been credited with bringing much-needed structure to the West Wing operations, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, President Trump has "found the loopholes."
"The president on occasion has called White House aides to the private residence in the evening, where he makes assignments and asks them not tell Mr. Kelly about the plans, according to several people familiar with the matter," the Journal noted. "At least once, aides have declined to carry out the requested task so as not to run afoul of Mr. Kelly, one of these people said."
Trump is also said to sometimes bypass the protocol in place for White House phone calls while connecting with outsiders for counsel.
Back in October, Vanity Fair reported on tensions in the relationship between Trump and Kelly.
"According to conversations with four prominent Republicans close to the White House, Trump has grown frustrated with Kelly in recent weeks at what he sees as Kelly's highhandedness," the media outlet noted at the time.
However, Trump expressed confidence in Kelly, telling CBS News, "John Kelly is one of the best people I've ever worked with. He's doing an incredible job. And he told me, for the last two months, he loves it more than anything he's ever done." 
"He will be here, in my opinion, for the entire seven remaining years," the president also said about Kelly.
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