President Donald Trump’s announcement that General John Kelly, currently secretary of Homeland Security, will be his new chief of staff was met with wide praise — but that reaction was not universal.
One Democratic member of Congress, California Rep. Barbara Lee, claimed Kelly’s appointment was evidence the President is “militarizing the White House.”
Lee, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Kelly “an extremist” in a tweet Friday.
By putting Gen John Kelly in charge, Pres Trump is militarizing the White House & putting our executive branch in the hands of an extremist.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) July 28, 2017
Kelly was the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit, among many others, during his more than 40 years of service in the Marine Corps, where he rose to the rank of four-star general
His last job in the Marines was as Commander of United States Southern Command, a position he was appointed to by former President Barack Obama. He was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security by the Senate by a vote of 88 to 11 on Trump’s first day in office.