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Mulvaney Responds to Reports About John Kelly's Future at WH
Townhall.com ^ | February 12, 2018 | Leah Barkoukis

Posted on 02/12/2018 5:23:12 AM PST by Kaslin

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney responded Sunday to reports that he’s being considered to replace White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after the retired general faced backlash over the way he handled Staff Secretary Rob Porter’s departure over domestic abuse allegations.

“Absolutely not,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“I think all of these stories about replacing General Kelly are mostly being fed by people who are unhappy that they’ve lost access to the president under General Kelly’s leadership,” he added. “I'm extraordinarily pleased with the job the chief has been doing. … I think the president is as well. I think all this talk about the chief's departure is much ado about nothing.”

When photo evidence of one of Porter’s ex-wives with a bruised eye came out Mulvaney said that the staff secretary was gone “almost immediately.”

“As soon as Rob Porter was proven wrong, it was proven he was not telling the truth when the photos came out on Wednesday, he was gone almost immediately,” he said.

As for President Trump’s tweet over the weekend about how “live are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” Mulvaney said it wasn’t actually a reference to Porter but former Republican National Committee finance chairman and businessman Steve Wynn, who resigned following harassment allegations.

Wynn “has been accused and has been condemned without any due process,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney wasn’t the only senior White House official to take to the Sunday shows to defend Kelly—adviser Kellyanne Conway and director of legislative affairs Marc Short also said that there’s no indication Kelly is going anywhere.

"I spoke with the president last night about this very issue," she said ABC's "This Week," "and he wanted me to reemphasize to everyone, including this morning, that he has full confidence in his current chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, and that he is not actively searching for replacements."

Short also disputed reports that Kelly handed in his resignation over the matter.

"Gen. Kelly, in my mind, is an American hero," Short said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” "There’s few families in America that have sacrificed more for our country. John Kelly knows that he serves at the pleasure of the president, and he will step aside as soon as — anytime the president doesn’t want him to be there. But John Kelly has not offered his resignation."

Both Short and Kelly said the allegations against Porter were surprising.

"When you've been working with somebody for a year, your first instinct is to say that doesn’t match up with the person I know inside our office,” Short said. “But that doesn’t mean that once you learn that actual extent of the allegations, that you have any tolerance for it. And Gen. Kelly had no tolerance for it."

Conway said Porter was a different person at the White House.

“This is not the Rob Porter any of us have worked with," she said, adding: "We are a nation of laws, we are a nation of due process, and all sides should be heard out. But you also can’t ignore what you see in front of you."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: genjohnkelly; kelly; mickmulvaney; mulvaney; trumpcabinet
These speculations by the media are ridiculous and have to stop
1 posted on 02/12/2018 5:23:12 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

There ought to be a law.


2 posted on 02/12/2018 5:32:38 AM PST by Lisbon1940 (No full-term Governors (at the time of election!)
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To: Lisbon1940

witch hunting, they should be fined


3 posted on 02/12/2018 5:40:52 AM PST by ronnie raygun (Trump plays chess the rest are still playing checkers)
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To: Kaslin

It is just the FBI fighting back against the Trump WH. The FBI has lost, what, a half dozen top people in recent weeks? As another freeper pointed out, while the FBI may think they are hot stuff because they have been around since 1908 or whatever, the Presidency has been around for over 200 years. Seems to me the FBI needs to be taken down a notch or two.


4 posted on 02/12/2018 5:49:23 AM PST by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: ronnie raygun

Fined for hunting witches without a license. (I know you meant “fired”.)


5 posted on 02/12/2018 5:50:07 AM PST by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: wastoute

The Democrats got away with this behavior in the recent Alabama Senate race, in part due to Trump’s too-little-too-late support of Moore. Any wonder they are at it agsin?


6 posted on 02/12/2018 5:54:13 AM PST by Socon-Econ
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To: Kaslin

No questions for Porters wife, Said nothing for 17 yrs why now? Wife never pressed charges why? Blk eye when, go to hospital are police? Porter worked for Sen Hatch wife did not go public with accusations? This is just a few questions no one asked. Did the FBI know about this and keep it from the president? If so what let it out now the Nunes memo they have to change the narrative. Some of use in America still believe in you are innocent until proven guilty. At least some of use on the right that is not the left.


7 posted on 02/12/2018 5:59:56 AM PST by klsparrow
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To: Kaslin

I’ve seen something written by Porter that makes me think this is a setup.


8 posted on 02/12/2018 6:10:52 AM PST by Tennessean4Bush (An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears this is true.)
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To: Kaslin
The media says it all the time....Trump lies all the time.

Thank goodness Trump calls them on the media's lies which is am everyday thing.

9 posted on 02/12/2018 6:16:39 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: klsparrow
Both wives said he never, ever hit them.

But he was mean....

Look, in many/most states, that's how you get a divorce in this world...."he was mean".

10 posted on 02/12/2018 6:19:27 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Kaslin

Progressives (communists) want to cripple Trump. Duh.

One extdemely effective way was to manipulate Sessions into recusing himself from anything with a vowel. Sessions is easily manipulated and got played. Mission accomplished; they got him where they want him and will all out fight to prevent his removal.

Another effective way is to remove Trump’s closest advisors. They got one and are trying for Kelly as well.

Compare and contrast the all-out “remove Kelly” effort with the “don’t you dare remove Sessions!” force.

Progressives are behind both choirs. Same people, different bunch of useful idiots in the choirs. Lots of overlap though.

And yes, I am saying that people in the “Trust Sessions” choir are being manipulated, and behaving like useful idiots.


11 posted on 02/12/2018 6:21:24 AM PST by Basket_of_Deplorables (SEDITION! Obama DOJ colluded to try overthrow the President!)
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As if we can get rid of swamp creatures that easily.


12 posted on 02/12/2018 6:34:03 AM PST by proust ("The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.")
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables
Progressives are behind both choirs.

The progs are the tools of the behind guys in all of this.

13 posted on 02/12/2018 7:06:30 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: ronnie raygun
"witch hunting, they should be fined"

Gird your Loins, I think we are all missing it. They are going after PDJT's inner circle, and by extension any thing that against the Swamp in DC and the world.

Look, you don't beat your wife, I get it, but the same weekend this happens they are also about to indite Bibi Netanyahu? How are these two events not related? IMHO the Soro's-Obama-Clinton Kabal has turned on the Supercharger and the Nitrous....

14 posted on 02/12/2018 7:09:49 AM PST by taildragger ("Do you hear the people Singing? Singing the Song of Angry Men!")
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To: Kaslin

These reporters have to be asked:

How come none of you caught on to Matt Lauer’s behavior???

They have been in the midst of bad behavior with Lauer, Charlie Rose & others....but they are the first ones to fling bricks at Republicans.


15 posted on 02/12/2018 7:12:02 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: AndyJackson

Definitely. Soros, clinton, obama, jarrett, bezos, etc.


16 posted on 02/12/2018 7:14:50 AM PST by Basket_of_Deplorables (SEDITION! Obama DOJ colluded to try overthrow the President!)
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To: klsparrow

Why now?

Any so-called woman who waits 17 years before she comes forward either has a political agenda or she is doing it for the money. Or both.


17 posted on 02/12/2018 7:28:46 AM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (No DACA Caca....Send the Nightmares home. "Americans are Dreamers, too." President Trump)
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