White House chief of staff John Kelly reportedly shared a shocking story with reporters in an off-record meeting Friday about outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that added insult to the injury of being fired by President Trump.
Drawing from three White House sources who knew about the meeting, The Daily Beast reported Kelly’s recollection of the awkward conversation between himself and Tillerson where he told the secretary of state he was about to get fired by the president. According to The Daily Beast, “The awkwardness was less a result of the contents of the conversation than its setting.”
Kelly reportedly told the group that Tillerson, who had contracted a stomach bug during an African diplomatic trip, was using a toilet when the chief of staff told him the news.
The fact that the comments were made, even if off-the-record, to a room full of reporters and White House officials stunned The Beast’s sources, especially given the fact that Kelly is regarded as “one of the more mature members of Trump’s top brass.”
The comments were also considered “bizarre” because Tillerson, who is set to remain in his post until the end of the March, had to this point enjoyed the support of Kelly. The chief of staff reportedly tried to convince the president to keep him and was disappointed at his dismissal.