White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly called President Donald Trump “dishonorable” in a call with former FBI Director James Comey shortly after his firing, the Daily Beast reported. In Comey’s upcoming memoir, the former FBI Director reportedly writes that his firing by Trump made Kelly “sick.”
When Kelly called Comey moments after he learned that Comey had been fired from television reports, per the Daily Beast, Kelly was emotional and said that he intended to quit because of it. According to two unnamed sources who read Comey’s upcoming memoir, Comey persuaded Kelly to stay in his role as Secretary of Homeland Security because Trump desperately needed people of character to guide and advise him.
This account of the phone call differs from the version that Kelly has told staffers, a senior White House official told the Daily Beast.
Nevertheless, Comey’s account may inflame already tense relations between Trump and Kelly, which reportedly have worsened in recent weeks. As more of Kelly’s allies in the West Wing have left or been fired — including former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — Kelly’s influence in the White House has decreased.
Comey’s memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” is slated for release on Tuesday.
