OPINION:
President Donald Trump, according to various media reports — which, to be fair, always paint this White House as a stumbling block of inefficiency, infighting and chaos — is having a tough time adjusting to his Chief of Staff John Kelly’s way of doing business.
Is this the media’s way of suggesting Trump’s about to fire another?
Honestly, the two appear as different in personalities as night and day. So it’s hardly surprising their White House ways of doing business might clash once and again. But painting petty personality disputes as proof positive of a chaotic and crumbling White House is patently unfair.
It smells of the left’s ongoing campaign to portray this administration as failing on the leadership front.
“Trump loyalists have reportedly nicknamed John Kelly ’the church lady,’ ” blasted one AOL.com headline, above a story that told of the dissension now supposedly marking Trump-Kelly relations.
The Washington Post published more of the same, writing “some of Trump’s friends fear that the short-tempered president is on an inevitable collision course with White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.”
Why?
The “church lady,” as Kelly’s been oh-not-so-fondly dubbed by White House insiders, a reference to the former general’s strict and uncompromising manner of conducting government business, is apparently being too heavy-handed in his handling of Trump.
“Trump chafes at some of the retired Marine Corps general’s moves to restrict access to him since he took the job almost a month ago, said several people close to the president,” The Post wrote. “They run counter to Trump’s love of spontaneity and brashness, prompting some Trump loyalists to derisively dub Kelly ’the church lady’ because they consider him strict and morally superior.”
Well, really — who didn’t see a clash of personalities coming with this match? Trump, the consummate shooter-from-the-hip, meets Kelly, the ultimate in Marine Corp discipline and control — of course the two hail from different behavioral worlds.
But that’s not to say the relationship is fated to break.
From AOL.com: ” ’He’s having a very hard time,’ someone who had recently spoke with the president said. ’He doesn’t like the way the media’s handling him. He doesn’t like how Kelly’s handling him. He’s turning on people that are very close to him.”
And The Post’s article paints similarly, with this headline: “During a summer of crisis, Trump chafes against criticism and new controls.”
Meanwhile, from MSNBC: “After five weeks, Trump bristles at his altered White House.”
And from Time, more on the report that Trump is “already sick of” Kelly.
Seriously, the way the media’s tea leaves are reading, another White House official is soon on the way out. But don’t hold your breath.
But Trump?
Well, he tells a different story.
“General John Kelly is doing a great job as Chief of Staff,” Trump tweeted Friday. “I could not be happier or more impressed — and this Administration continues to …”
And he finished the thought, in a second tweet that read: “…get things done at a record clip. Many big decisions to be made over the coming days and weeks. AMERICA FIRST!”
Seems like “you’re fired” isn’t a phrase that’s going to be slung Kelly’s way any time soon.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.