Report: Kelly Left Out Of Trump-Russia Call, Decision To Hire John Bolton

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is seen as US President Donald Trump attends a meeting at the Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia on February 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MAN... White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is seen as US President Donald Trump attends a meeting at the Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia on February 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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In a sign that chief of staff John Kelly’s grip on White House operations is loosening, President Donald Trump did not include Kelly in two major recent events for the administration, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.

When Trump made the final decision to replace National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster with John Bolton, Kelly was not in the room, according to Bloomberg. And when Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin recently, Kelly was not on the phone for the conversation, per Bloomberg News.

Though Kelly was left out of those decisions, there’s no indication that Trump is gearing up to fire Kelly soon, according to Bloomberg News. The chief of staff was included in the move to replace David Shulkin as Veterans Affairs secretary, and he has been working to implement a new policy process, per Bloomberg News.

Read the entire Bloomberg News report here.

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Notable Replies

  1. Trump doesn’t have the courage to fire Kelly. He is gonna passive-aggressively sideline him until Kelly himself resigns.

  2. Kelley should be an object lesson for wannabe right wing scumbags nationwide. You work with this foolish criminal traitor and you will see your reputation destroyed for all time. Your family will wear your shame and guilt for the rest of their lives as well. You will always be remembered as somebody who traded their honor and good name for a criminal.

    And it could not happen to a nicer racist pig.

  3. Might be problematic for Trump if Kelly ever remembers he’s supposed to be serving a nation, not a cult of personality. Maybe being treated contemptuously a bit more will help him remember that. His oath didn’t, or the memory of his son. I don’t understand people like him, to be honest.

  4. Let’s see if Princess Huckster-Slanders mentions Spanky having “full confidence” in Kelly at today’s presser.

    That always signals imminent firing. Wonder if Scaredy-Spanky will also can him via tweet?

  5. The ‘Occupant’ is merely keeping Kelly around to use as a convenient prop/fall-guy for the next time the media hits upon a scandal/ Russia-gate indictment, then Kelly gets deep-sixed as diversionary tactic: see Podesta, John/‘Pussy tape’

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