In a brief interview with CNN on Monday, Gen. John Kelly chimed in on his views about saluting the national anthem, saying that "every American should stand up and think for three lousy minutes." He made his comment at the same time that President Trump had been verbally attacking the National Football League (NFL) for allowing professional players who did not salute the American flag to have a job still. Trump made the statement at a rally in Alabama for a Republican candidate for the Senate, Luther Strange.
Defends saluting the flag, frustrated with President instigating culture war?
As a former Marine, Gen. Kelly (who is the President's Chief Of Staff) made it clear that he was "appalled" by the "disrespect" that people were showing the flag and the national anthem. He said that everyone should put their hands over their hearts and think about those who have been "maimed and killed" for the flag. The "three lousy minutes" he referred to, was no doubt in reference to the horrors of the battle for America.
But CNN also reported that two administration officials said that Kelly was not very happy with the President instigating a Culture War over the issue throughout the weekend. Kelly, who has been the White House chief of staff since late July, had already been working to put a chaotic White House back in order, firing many of the West Wing's more extremist elements and isolating the President from seeing policy proposals that were not yet vetted by him.
President Trump trolls Kaepernick
Despite this, Kelly has acknowledged --- via anonymous sources in the White House -- that reining in the President from trolling on Twitter (for instance) would not be possible. President Trump's demands that professional sports players who refused to stand for the flag be fired has been attributed to race issues through former 49ers player Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick sat down while the "Star-Spangled Banner" played as others saluted the flag in protest of police officers killing blacks. The protest took place before a pre-season game last year.
In his statement, the President acted as if he were an NFL team executive reacting to a protesting player saying: "Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired, He's fired!" During the rally, President Trump brought Kelly up to the stage for "praise" before he made his controversial comments.
Trump has been trolling Colin Kaepernick, even crediting himself as the cause for why the professional player is not playing for any team.
CNN's report, "John Kelly is not pleased with Trump's NFL culture war," reviewed that the President went off script from the remarks he was supposed to make. This has, however, become the standard, as the President is known to go off script during rallies as opposed to more formal settings.
President Trump's war on everyone
This was quite apparent over the weekend of violent attacks from a hate group in Charlottesville when President Trump blamed both sides — even those against the hate groups — for the violence during a statement on that Saturday. The following Monday, the President made a more formal speech, naming the hate groups, only to return to his original stance in an angry off script speech on that following Tuesday, showing inconsistencies
Gen.
Kelly's enforcement efforts to control the White House makes his intentions obvious. Since taking his role, Kelly has looked publicly frustrated with the President's abrasive approach. Footage of the President's statements over Charlottesville showed a visibly frustrated Kelly, as well as during the President's more formal speech at the UN General Assembly last week. In that speech, President Trump threatened to "totally destroy North Korea."
Trump denied CNN's report via Twitter, calling them fake news and said that Kelly supported his stance against NFL players.
Trump has continued his war against the NFL, calling for them to ban players from kneeling during the national anthem.
