“Breaking News! Former Chief of Staff Says Trump Has No Idea what America is About and Has Contempt for the Constitution.”©

 “Breaking News!  Former Chief of Staff Says Trump Has No Idea what America is About and Has Contempt for the Constitution.”© 

Just this afternoon (2 October 2023), CNN’s Jake Tapper disclosed an on-the-record-statement from John Kelly, Donald Trump’s longest serving Chief of Staff, critical of his former boss. This is noteworthy not only for the length of time Kelly served Trump and therefore knows whereof he speaks, but heretofore Kelly has been somewhat reticent to speak out against the former president.  Kelly had many scathing things to say about Trump, but I am concerned with and will only publish one brief excerpt.  He said Donald Trump is:

“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 [General Milley] 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.”(1)

On 21 June 2023, I wrote a blog here titled “Donald Trump: An ‘Enemy to the Constitution” in which I quoted Trump’s own words on Truth Social that he felt that the circumstances of an alleged stolen election “allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” I also cited Liz Cheney’s statement at the end of the House Investigation of Trump that “No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.” [My emphasis in both quotations.] And General Milley referred to the former president as a “wanna be dictator” in his exit remarks as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff.

The point I’m making here is that Kelly’s remarks very strongly sustain and confirm what I wrote three months ago. I’m not crowing here. I’m simply trying to keep my eye and your eye on the ball. Tapper appeared to be more offended by Kelly’s revelations that Trump dissed dead or wounded veterans than of his “contempt” for our institutions and the Constitution. On January 6 the man broke his oath to sustain the Constitution, and probably many other times previous to that. Those who know him by serving with him or closely investigating him keep warning us that he does not uphold the Constitution nor the institutions, rights, and freedoms it provides for, that he does want to be a dictator.  

Tapper is right in one other statement he made: “No other presidential candidate in history has had so many detractors from his inner circle.” [My emphasis.]  The “tell all” and books warning us about Trump by former members of his administration has no equal in our history and the list continues to grow.  Yet, apparently 20 to 25 million of the so-called Trump base, ostrich-like, hide from, simply ignore, or believe Trump contra these assertions. They are like the proverbial guy who says, “Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is already made up!” It is inexplicable, but sane voices need to keep resisting the totalitarianism Trump and the MAGA base would impose upon this country.

Let’s think together again, soon.

Notes:

1.  Jake Tapper, “Exclusive: John Kelly goes on the record to confirm several disturbing stories about Trump,” CNN, 2 October 2023.  See it online @:  

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/exclusive-john-kelly-goes-on-the-record-to-confirm-several-disturbing-stories-about-trump/ar-AA1hBaQp?cvid=47d629c459ba46d1a808a22e922200b8&ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&ei=17#image=AAUU2x4|1