KELLY: "There is nothing more that can be said. God help us."

[kpete]

“John Kelly, the longest-serving White House chief of staff for Donald Trump, offered his harshest criticism yet of the former president, CNN reports.

Said Kelly: “What can I add that has not already been said? 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.”

He added: “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.”

He concluded: “There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.”

https://politicalwire.com/2023/10/02/john-kelly-sets-the-record-straight-on-trump/

[LuckyCharms]

1. Thanks for speaking up in a timely manner, General Kelly.

[sybylla]

20. +1000

"OMG! God help us! Blah, blah, blah! Someone do something!" Feck off Kelly.

All these turdblossoms waited until they were safe and sound after the election to come out and speak up. I am so effing tired of the mea culpa circuit in which the media lets them skate with zero apologies.

[republianmushroom]

38. agree

[Yoyoyo77]

54. True, but at least it's not the usual, he did a lot good things, butttt.

[Ray Bruns]

60. Fuck Kelly. He knew Trump was a snake when he went to work for him.

[Frasier Balzov]

2. But... but...he owns the Libs and the RINOs!

[marybourg]

3. When his ox (the military) is gored

then he see the evil. Before that, he was fine with selling his soul.

[mercuryblues]

12. Yup he was right by trump's side

when he was insulting Gold Star families.

General John Kelly said he was "broken-hearted" by the Democrat's criticism of the president's condolence call to Sgt La David Johnson's wife.

Sgt Johnson was one of four killed in Niger by Islamist militants this month.

Gen Kelly also said he did not receive a call from President Barack Obama when his son died in Afghanistan in 2010.

https://www.newsweek.com/frederica-wilson-johnson-trump-call-687810

^^^^^Except that part he left out about sitting at the head table, with the Obamas, at a luncheon to honor Gold Star families.^^^^

IOW he lied to protect trump.

Not just once, but several times. He racially insulted Rep Fredricka Wilson and spread lies about her. He couldn't bend over fast enough to kiss trump's ass.


FUCK HIM. He has no honor.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

21. 👆🏽👆🏽 This! 👆🏽👆🏽

[paleotn]

36. Absolutely!

He has no honor.

[UpInArms]

58. This 👆🏼

His soul is damned

[paleotn]

35. He was, but not Milley.

And not a number of others in uniform or formerly in uniform. Me included. Careful with the wide brush.

[marybourg]

42. Did you intend to reply to me?

Because I don’t understand your reply.

[paleotn]

43. I may have misunderstood your post. Apologies if that's the case.

[marybourg]

45. OK, but it's a little concerning to me

that I’m communicating so poorly as to have elicited a criticism that does not seem to relate to what I thought I wrote. Maybe I’m past it. It could be. I think I’ll just read from now on.

[paleotn]

47. Not that big of a deal.

When I scan I sometimes miss the true meaning. My error not yours.

[agingdem]

4. Sorry, John Kelly is no angel..

he was Secretary of Homeland Security when he said DHS was considering separating families/separating children from their parents...he was Trump's chief of staff when the DHS implemented the separation policy...

John Kelly knew what Trump was when he accepted the chief of staff position...that Kelly didn't know the depth of Trump's depravity, his callous disregard for human life, is on him...

[Bluethroughu]

9. Was he in charge when they sent the immigrant women to be sterilized in Georgia?

It wasn't even OB-GYN.

[malaise]

10. THIS

Few saints among them and they all went along with him

[agingdem]

18. Like Cassidy Hutchinson...

she “adored” Trump but was a tinge disillusioned after January 6…and yet didn’t resign…

Bill Barr says Trump’s claims of a rigged election were “bullshit”…and, yet, he weaponized the DOJ to punish Trump’s perceived enemies and buried the Mueller Report…

so now all the former Trump “employees” can mea culpa from now until the end of time..they were complicit in the horror that was Trump’s presidency…

[malaise]

23. From now until they get a gig from. M$Greedia 😀

😀😀

[inthewind21]

63. Agreed

However, they sure have an adoring following right here. Cassidy Hutchison, Liz Cheney, Nicole Wallace. And people wonder just how we got here!

[calimary]

67. Never forget. NEVER.

I believe in redemption. But not in forgetting why they needed it.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

11. Former trump guys salivating at the offer of power...now have regrets...what changed?? Not the man.

[agingdem]

26. they didn't change..

Trump bad-mouthed them and then forced them to resign or he fired them ..not exactly noble on their part..

[uponit7771]

32. +1

[Boomerproud]

5. Trump holds everyone in complete contempt.

That should have bothered John Kelly but it didn't. I could care less what he says.

[Conjuay]

6. But you still took the coins, Judas, didn't you?

[wiggs]

7. why isn't this, ALONE, enough to cost millions of votes?? nt

[oldsoftie]

13. I don't get it either. The '20 election shouldn't have been so close.

trump should've lost several more states.

[mike_c]

14. because this is exactly what his voters want

Broken government validates their grievances, and TFG promises to break it, stomp on the pieces, then burn them to ash. One hundred percent validation. That is what they hunger for.

The only way to stop these people is to make them happy and content in their lives, even as they work harder against anything that might resolve their grievances. They know TFG will destroy democracy-- that's just more validation of their grievances.

Honestly, I wrestle with how far to pursue this reasoning on DU, but I really do believe that the only solution is to somehow shake the right wing base from their grievances and make them happy with government and American society as it is. And to examine our own grievances as well, and ask whether clinging to them really serves the country or not.

[wiggs]

49. It used to be said on DU that the only thing they would abandon him for is if his tax

returns revealed he wasn't really as wealthy as advertised. A fake. I believed that then...don't now.

They are with him because there's something wrong with them. And that's a difficult hill to climb, to change things.

[wiggs]

51. That's been the difficult thing, for me...realizing how many misogynists, racists, xenophobes,

homophobes, and assholes there are in our country. Before 2016...I had no idea.

[triron]

52. Hillary tried to tell us, but she was disparaged by the media.

[wiggs]

53. deplorable. nt

[inthewind21]

65. She

was disparaged right here.

[inthewind21]

64. I hate to break it to you

But it wasn't JUST "his voters".

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Was just gonna post. Absolutely remarkable. Dems hire THIS man!

[ZZenith]

16. WHAT?!

No. Do not hire this man.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

50. OMG can't admit when a low-life R speaks truth?

No hope

[ret5hd]

55. OMG can't admit when a low-life R tries to cover his ass?

Fixed that small typo.

You're welcome.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

69. :). Read that when Kelly was around he kept tight control

of classified docs in WH. We are at such an incredible low with trump I choose people who have modicon of sense. Once we reach equilibrium we can start looking for perfect people again .

[paleotn]

40. Unfortunately, he was OK with it while it was happening.

When there's "blood in the water", i.e. Donnie the Dumbass is out of favor, he's all about joining the feeding frenzy. A man lacking in honor in my mind. Particularly with respect to combat casualties.

[Permanut]

15. This Navy vet wonders what took him so long.

Everything he said has been obvious for years here at DU.

Locking the barn after the horse has been stolen is useless General Kelly.

[ProfessorPlum]

62. exactly

[Bluesaph]

17. Because they love his evil policies and ideology

And that took precedence. Now that they got their SCOTUS and their judges it’s safe to speak out.

Too little and WAY TOO EFFING LATE!

[cactuslady]

19. Gen. Kelly

Mercury Blues said it all, Kelly lied and never apologized to the congress woman from Florida.

[yorkster]

66. Right you are - Frederica Wilson.

[SouthernDem4ever]

22. This needs to be heard far and wide

[Joinfortmill]

24. Someone who matters finally said the truth aloud.

[Kid Berwyn]

25. He knows exactly who and what has damaged our country.

[Evolve Dammit]

27. Nice try at faux atonement. What a useless enabler.

[JoseBalow]

28. Is he selling a book?

[rubbersole]

29. That was my 1st thought.

Or about to be indicted. Johnny come lately...

[JoseBalow]

37. Always starts with a Redemption Tour

[Caliman73]

30. And what can be said for a person who willingly worked with an asshole like that...

and only speaks up in retrospect YEARS after that asshole tried to foment a coup and continues to put lives at risk, and is trying to be elected again so that he will NEVER give up power again?

What do you say about a person like that, willing to lick that asshole's boots for several years and go along with his schemes?

[keithbvadu2]

31. Kelly certainly knew how Trump ridiculed all POWs (captured).

Many vets are now calling Chief of Staff John Kelly (retired 4 star general) a 'blue falcon'.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blue%20falcon

[FSogol]

33. John Kelly - Complicit!

[mnmoderatedem]

34. You really mean that Kelly?

Are you really mortified by trump?

Then get your ass out there and campaign feverishly for Biden. It's the least you can do.

[Uncle Joe]

39. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread kpete.

[Aussie105]

41. Kelly is simply saying . . .

that he has unwound the Trump cultism in his own mind and is seeing things more clearly now.

Doesn't let him off the hook though, nor should it.

[Snackshack]

44. Yea...

Gwd help us…because you certainly didn’t Mr. Kelly.

[ecstatic]

46. I remember kelly covering for trump

when trump was attacking a black gold star family, and then kelly also had a nasty (racist?) interaction with congresswoman Frederica Wilson after she stood up for that family.

Kelly is trying to clean his image up, and I love his current words, but I haven't forgotten who he really is. He is racist, maga trash just like everyone else who served in the trump mal-administration.

[orangecrush]

48. No words

Jesus Christ.

[Initech]

56. Trump is basically just a glorified insult comic.

[soldierant]

57. I believe that people can do wrong, learn that it was wrong, and change.

But I also believe [people claiming to do so shold be received with caution, Dismissing them out of habd helps no one but it can't beautomatically assumed that the change is real and permanent wither.

I suggest giving him rope, as it were.

[prodigitalson]

59. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Martin68]

61. I suspect Trump's disdain for the military is a cover for his cowardice in escaping service through

medical fraud. He hates them because they make him look bad.

[SergeStorms]

68. Yes, Dog help us.

Trump is a disease.

[Demovictory9]

70. The harm trump has done to America is incalcuable