Treatment of John Kelly: Trump's Attacks on His Former Chief of Staff After Kelly Confirmed 'Losers and Suckers' Comments
Tier 3Documented2017-07-31 to 2024-10-25
Factual Summary
John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, served as Donald Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security from January to July 2017 and as White House Chief of Staff from July 2017 to January 2019. Kelly's son, Second Lieutenant Robert Kelly, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. After leaving the White House, Kelly became one of the most senior former Trump administration officials to publicly criticize the former president's character, fitness for office, and treatment of military service members.
In September 2020, The Atlantic reported that Trump had referred to American war dead buried at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris as "losers" and "suckers" during a 2018 visit to France, and that Trump had questioned why anyone would volunteer for military service. Trump denied making the remarks. In October 2023, Kelly confirmed the account in a statement to CNN, saying that Trump had indeed used those words and had expressed contempt for wounded veterans and Gold Star families. Kelly stated that Trump said of the war dead: "What was in it for them? They don't make any money." Kelly also confirmed that Trump had said he did not want to be seen with military amputees because "it doesn't look good for me."
In October 2024, Kelly gave a series of on-the-record interviews to The New York Times and CNN in which he described Trump as meeting the definition of a fascist, stated that Trump "certainly prefers the dictator approach to government," and said Trump had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler's generals. Kelly told associates that Trump was "the most flawed person I have ever met in my life." He described Trump as having "nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law."
Trump responded with sustained personal attacks against Kelly. He called Kelly "by far the dumbest of my Military people" and claimed he had fired Kelly for incompetence. Trump's campaign issued statements calling Kelly a "total degenerate" and "a lowlife." Trump posted on Truth Social that Kelly had "gone totally off the rails" and was motivated by bitterness over being terminated.
Kelly's public statements were notable because they came from a Gold Star father and retired four-star general who had served Trump in two Cabinet-level positions, making him one of the most credible witnesses to Trump's private conduct.
Primary Sources
1. CNN: John Kelly's on-the-record statement confirming Trump's "losers" and "suckers" remarks, October 2, 2023
2. New York Times: "John Kelly Confirms Trump's Private Disparagement of the Military," October 22, 2024
3. CNN: John Kelly interview describing Trump as meeting the definition of a fascist, October 2024
4. Trump posts on Truth Social and campaign statements attacking Kelly, October 2024
Corroborating Sources
1. The Atlantic: "Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are 'Losers' and 'Suckers,'" September 3, 2020
2. The Hill: "John Kelly confirms Trump's 'suckers' remark about war dead," October 2023
3. NBC News: "John Kelly confirms Trump privately disparaged U.S. service members and veterans," October 2023
4. Washington Post: "Trump slams John Kelly, who warned about ex-president's fitness for office," October 25, 2024
5. The Daily Beast: "Trump's Former Chief of Staff John Kelly Calls Him 'Most Flawed Person' Ever," October 2020
Counterarguments and Context
Trump and his campaign denied the "losers and suckers" remarks and characterized Kelly as a disgruntled former employee seeking attention. The campaign noted that numerous other officials present during the 2018 France trip, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, disputed certain details of The Atlantic's original reporting, though Bolton confirmed other negative comments Trump made about the military on other occasions. Trump allies pointed out that Kelly's public criticisms coincided with the 2024 presidential campaign, suggesting political motivation. They also noted that Kelly had ample opportunity to speak out while serving in the administration but chose not to. Kelly's response was that he had maintained silence out of respect for the office of the presidency, but that Trump's renewed candidacy compelled him to speak. Multiple other former senior Trump officials, including former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and former National Security Adviser John Bolton, independently confirmed that Trump had expressed contempt for military service in private.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 3 because Kelly's statements are on-the-record, first-person accounts from a direct witness who held the highest staff position in the White House. They are corroborated by multiple other former senior officials. The entry documents both Trump's alleged private remarks and his public retaliation against Kelly for disclosing them. The pattern of attacking former aides who criticize him publicly is documented across multiple entries in this ledger.