Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reemerged this week with a few banger takedowns of his former boss, Donald Trump. That included Kelly's belief that Trump fits the definition of a fascist, as well as the warning that if he returns to the White House, Trump would govern like a dictator on steroids.
These are certainly newsworthy remarks, even scathing. But none of this is entirely surprising, for two major reasons: everything we have seen with our own eyes, and similar condemnations Kelly made ahead of the 2020 election.
Yet they're being paraded out as some kind of victory for anyone who doesn't want to see Donald Trump back in power. Why? Look closely at Kelly's interview with the New York Times, and you will notice that he is careful not to reveal who he plans to vote for next month. As my colleague Julianne noted, at one point Kelly reminded the Times that he was a former military officer and therefore would not be endorsing any candidate.
I'm sorry. But it's hard not to see this as anything other than a pathetic dodge. Because while it's nice that he's speaking out now, Kelly shredded a huge chunk of whatever reputation one gets from being a former military officer by joining Trump's band of abhorrence in the first place. That he feels the need to hide behind such credentials—even in an interview intended to blast Trump—suggests to me that he's one of those people who, despite all their claimed hatred of the former president, will not do the one thing that can help stop him from returning to the Oval Office: announce that he's voting for Kamala Harris.
So, I'm going to call BS on this one. At least have the courage of your convictions, if they are that. Call me when folks like Kelly want to do more than clean up their crappy reputations.
—Inae Oh
