Kelly, Bolton Get in Profane Shouting Match Outside the Oval Office By Jennifer Jacobs October 18, 2018, 3:08 PM EDT John Kelly, left, talks with John Bolton in the Oval Office on Oct. 10. Photographer: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP President Donald Trump’s chief of staff and his national security adviser engaged in a profanity-laced argument outside the Oval Office on Thursday, according to three people familiar with the episode. It wasn’t immediately clear what the chief of staff, John Kelly, and the national security adviser, John Bolton, were arguing about. The clash is an indication that tension is resurfacing in the White House 19 days before midterm elections in which Republican control of Congress is at stake. The shouting match was so intense that other White House aides worried one of the two men might immediately resign. Neither is resigning, the people said. It’s not clear if Trump heard the argument. But the people said he is aware of it.
Kelly is displaying some signs of a workplace crush on his former deputy, Neilsson, who happens to be pretty hot for a Cabinet official. She was what they were arguing over. Bolton, to his credit, seems to want the border sealed. Kelly wasn't enthusiastic about that when he was head of Homeland Security, so it's no surprise his former deputy isn't either. I'll say this for her, she is great with the media and congress. But Bolton wants her fired. Kelly is seen to be threatening to resign over it. Some people might think Kelly is going overboard for her and are hoping this is not another Gen. Petraeus situation. He is Chief of Staff, not President. He doesn't get to veto firings. He's putting himself in a situation where Trump may end up having to can both of them, which might not be the worst outcome.
If that's what's happening and Kelly is threatening to resign if Nielsen is fired, then he needs to go. Gary Cohen (Trump's former chief economic advisor) was interviewed today. They tried to trap him into confirming the reports that the White House is in chaos but instead he said something to the effect that Trump welcomes opposing views. Can't say how much of the staffing to achieve that is deliberate but avoiding groupthink is absolutely sound from an organizational standpoint. One need only look at Fauxcahontas' DNA disaster to see the danger of having a staff of all "yes men."
C'mon, guys, two grown men having a bit of a screaming match? You ought to watch hockey instead. The Biggest Nothingburger of the Week.
Well, I think you have a point. That's not a functional personnel system. In fact, it borders on insubordination. Bolton doesn't have the authority to fire her, so the gist of the argument may have been that Bolton was blaming her in front of Trump and Kelly was saying, she's doing the best anyone could do under the circumstances. He may be right but if he is trying to bully Bolton into getting back into line, he picked the wrong guy. Bolton lives for confrontation. He loves being the nail that sticks up.
I dunno. I dont have an opinion on how effective Kirsten Nielson is. I do think that her tool box has maxed out a bit in that the president and congress have not changed the law in several key areas such that this amnesty game and catch and release are charade just create a massive, massive feeding frenzy for immigrants who treat the entire border like it is a buffet, and the world is their oyster. Sometimes you have people in that homeland security position who are flat out incompetent and working against America. Look no further than Janet Napolitano for Exhibit A. But I dont know what new tools Kirsten has to work with. Some more agents, yeh, okay. So what. Hire a few thousand more agents but then the immigrants are just smarter and use the dems more to their advantage and they start showing up in caravans in addition to the ridiculously high normal flow. No walls, no changes in the law. The administration and congress caving into dem demands to not separate or detain either children or parents. What have we given the girl to work with?