Outgoing White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly defends his rocky tenure

Molly O'Toole

The retired four-star Marine general will leave the administration on Wednesday. First as Homeland Security chief and then in 18 months at the White House, he presided over some of the Trump administration’s most controversial immigration and security policies.

In the phone interview Friday, Kelly defended his rocky tenure, arguing that it is best measured by what the president did not do when Kelly was at his side..............     Kelly said he made sure that Trump had access to multiple streams of detailed information before he made a decision — even if the president says he often relies on his gut, rather than U.S. intelligence.  “It’s never been: The president just wants to make a decision based on no knowledge and ignorance,” Kelly said. “You may not like his decision, but at least he was fully informed on the impact.” ..........

Trump sometimes pressed his advisors on the limits of his authority under the law, often asking Kelly, “‘Why can’t we do it this way?’”  But Trump never ordered him to do anything illegal, Kelly stressed, “because we wouldn’t have.”..............Unlike Kelly’s friend James N. Mattis, the retired Marine general who resigned as secretary of Defense with a public letter rebuking the president for abandoning allies and undermining alliances, Kelly kept his counsel..........

Asked why he stayed 18 months in the White House, despite policy differences, personality clashes, the punishing schedule, and a likely lasting association with some of Trump’s controversies, he said simply: duty............To Read More....

My Take - I've not agreed with Kelly for some time on a lot of issues, but he's demonstrating character in his departure - a class act - and I respect him for that.  I hope he stays that way.  As for his departure being "worrisome"?  The graveyard is filled with indispensible people, and I'm willing to bet Kelly would agree.