Journalists are attacking Gen. John Kelly for defending President Trump’s phone call to a Gold Star mother in an impassioned speech to the White House press corps Thursday.
During the speech, Kelly covered a wide range of topics surrounding the current media conversation about Gold Star families, stating that he initially told Trump not to call the families of the soldiers killed in Niger, slamming Rep. Frederica Wilson for sharing and criticizing the contents of a private phone call, and indicating that the Pentagon is investigating what happened in Niger.
WATCH IN FULL HOW GENERAL KELLY SLAMS CONGRESSWOMAN WILSON FOR HER POLITICIZATION OF THE DEATH OF A GREEN BERET
In a particularly poignant moment, Kelly, now White House chief of staff, reiterated the words that Trump used in a phone call with a Gold Star mother, asserting that his son who died in Afghanistan “knew what he was getting into.”
MSNBC’s Joy Reid accused Trump of putting Gen. Kelly up to the speech, and claimed he was “us[ing] his son’s death to defend Trump.”
Just landed and thanks to spotty wifi, just learning that Trump sent General Kelly out to use his son’s death to defend Trump. Unreal.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) October 19, 2017
She later tweeted, “My god, what is Kelly doing.”
My god, what is Kelly doing… https://t.co/vuMa2DncZu
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) October 19, 2017
Newsweek writer John Haltiwanger was even harsher on Kelly, writing, “Amazing for Kelly to grandstand about military on behalf of Trump, who’s attacked POWs AND Gold Star families.”
Amazing for Kelly to grandstand about military on behalf of Trump, who’s attacked POWs AND Gold Star families.
— John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) October 19, 2017
CNN’s Gloria Borger praised Kelly’s leadership during the speech, but said his leadership was in “taking the fall for his boss.”
WATCH:
After Kelly gave his emotional speech, he only gave questions to journalists who knew members of Gold Star families. MSNBC’s Ali Velshi knocked that move, calling it “unusual” because “those aren’t the qualifications” journalists have to get to join the briefing room.
WATCH:
“Military leader takes over television podium reserved for civilian leadership, only takes questions from reporters with military ties,” a Business Insider reporter echoed.
Military leader takes over television podium reserved for civilian leadership, only takes questions from reporters with military ties.
— Pedro da Costa (@pdacosta) October 19, 2017
Charles Blow of The New York Times concluded from the speech that Kelly is “VERY dangerous.”
I keep telling y’all about John Kelly. He signed up to make Trump’s craziness look less crazy. That make Kelly himself VERY dangerous…
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) October 19, 2017
“Kelly attempting to clean up Trump’s mess doesn’t change the fact that Trump has expressed no remorse over call, or his lying about it,” wrote Paul Szoldra of Code Red News.
Kelly attempting to clean up Trump’s mess doesn’t change the fact that Trump has expressed no remorse over call, or his lying about it.
— Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) October 19, 2017
WATCH: GENERAL KELLY URGES AMERICANS TO REMEMBER WHAT IS ‘SACRED’