John Kelly confirms Trump privately disparaged U.S. service members and
veterans
Trump called fallen soldiers "suckers� and "losers" during his
presidency, according to a 2020 report in The Atlantic.

Former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly is blasting his
onetime boss over disparaging remarks he says the then-president
repeatedly made about service members and veterans and for what he called
Trump's untruthfulness about his positions on various groups as well as
on abortion.

In a statement to CNN published Monday, Kelly delivered a scathing
criticism of former President Donald Trump while confirming reporting in
The Atlantic in 2020 that detailed the comments he made during his
presidency.

"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,'"
Kelly said of Trump. "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.�

The Atlantic reported that Trump privately made damning statements
against U.S. service members and veterans, such as the late Sen. John
McCain, R-Ariz., who had been a Vietnam prisoner of war, and former
President George H.W. Bush, who was shot down as a Navy pilot in World
War II. During a visit to France in 2018 for the centennial anniversary
of the end of World War I, Trump also reportedly called Marines who died
at Belleau Wood �suckers� and fallen soldiers at Aisne-Marne American
Cemetery �losers.�

Kelly also slammed Trump as someone "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. A person that
has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all
about."

He continued, �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,� an
apparent reference to Trump's recent statements about Army Gen. Mark
Milley, who just retired as the chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff. �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 added. �God help us.�
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Reached for comment by NBC News, Steven Cheung, Trump campaign
spokesperson, said: "John Kelly has totally clowned himself with these
debunked stories he�s made up because he didn�t serve his President well
while working as Chief of Staff."

Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, left as Trump's chief of staff
in 2018. His tenure had been marred by conflict, with reports at the time
describing disagreements between Kelly, Trump and West Wing staff.

Kelly found himself in the crosshairs of his former boss in 2020, when
Kelly came to the defense of then-Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who
had reported his concerns about Trump�s July 2019 call with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the phone call, Trump asked
Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden, his son Hunter and Democrats. The
phone call led to Trump�s first impeachment by the House, but the Senate
later acquitted Trump on two charges, of abusing his power and
obstructing Congress.

During Kelly�s time in the Trump White House, speculation grew that he
was exhausted and frustrated with his role as well as with Trump�s
mercurial temperament.

Kelly first served in the Trump administration as secretary of Homeland
Security. Trump appointed him as chief of staff in July 2017 after his
predecessor, Reince Priebus, was ousted after six months on the job.