John Kelly Mocked for Trump Criticism: If There Was Only Something He Could Have Done When He Was Chief of Staff…

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly seemingly unleashed on a number of news topics related to President Donald Trump during a 75 minutes speech at Drew University Wednesday night, but his description of his former boss’s call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and defense of now-fired Col. Alexander Vindman are certain to get the most attention.

First reported by The Atlantic’s Peter Nicholas, Kelly’s most noteworthy comment was his apparent defense of Vindman for doing simply what he was taught to do by the military when he overheard Trump’s call, and that was “don’t follow an illegal order.” Not only does his defense of Vindman put him at odds with a number of Republican officials who have ridiculed Vindman’s service, but his referencing of what Trump has described as a “perfect call” as “illegal” is remarkable.

Kelly also addressed many more topics that put him at odds with the current official White House position, including Trump’s pardoning of Eddie Gallagher, the fact that he does not see the press as the “enemy of the people” as Trump so often claims, and suggesting that Trump’s efforts to denuclearize North Korea will effectively be a waste of time, as Kim Jong-Un will almost certainly never give up his nuclear weapons.

But while Kelly’s speech is getting a ton of attention, not all of it is the sort that Kelly would likely celebrate. A number of noteworthy commenters on Twitter — from both sides of the political spectrum have called out Kelly for only being vocal about Trump’s positions after he left office, suggesting the old CYA approach. To wit:

There was one lesson, however, where Vindman deviated from superiors like Kelly. Unlike Kelly, Vindman put mission first, not self-protection first. https://t.co/SNSddOjt2a

— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 13, 2020

If only there was something John Kelly could have done when he was White House Chief of Staff… ? https://t.co/PfMAlB5mtl

— This Is Not A Thom Dunn T-Shirt (@thomdunn) February 13, 2020

I repeat myself again (and again) in this 2018 amazing @JonLemire story on John Kelly. Read to remind yourself what Kelly built at @DHSgov and what he left behind. (He finally speaks up when a Lt Col in military is criticized, a precious team play.) #familyseparation https://t.co/oeoBYZ229Z

— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) February 13, 2020

Back when John Kelly was actually in a position to do something about the president’s policies, he told NPR that people coming over the border are “not people that would easily assimilate into the United States into our modern society.” https://t.co/5VQlJiU4ec https://t.co/06QgfCpCTI

— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) February 13, 2020

Honestly, John Kelly condemning Trump’s behavior, saying immigrants are “mostly good people,” and defending LTC Vindman now just makes me sad. Why can’t the people inside the White House stop the damage instead of just disowning it once they leave? https://t.co/kMO8G4Xhd9

— ilyse hogue (@ilyseh) February 13, 2020

For three years, the takes on John Kelly have been blinded by the uniform. Kelly states a few critical words in a small college auditorium. Brave? You decide. But he was never a savior or a hostage. You can respect the service and not the General. ⬇️ https://t.co/JBecVQ1iMD

— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) February 13, 2020

I don’t care what John Kelly thinks. He disqualified any opinion he’ll ever have when, before the separation policy, he said stealing children from their parents would be a good way to “deter” other families. He also likely knows things about Trump’s corruption he isn’t sharing.

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 13, 2020