White House chief of staff — former general John Kelly reportedly did not like President Trump's treatment of him — did he think he was special?

© 2017 Peter Free

 

02 September 2017

 

 

There is not much to respect in President Trump's character . . .

 

. . .  so why would people in his administration be surprised when he acts like a rude, unappreciative and effulgently narcissistic dope?

 

 

President Trump was in an especially ornery mood after staff members gently suggested he refrain from injecting politics into day-to-day issues of governing after last month’s raucous rally in Arizona, and he responded by lashing out at the most senior aide in his presence.

 

It happened to be his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly.

 

Mr. Kelly, the former Marine general brought in five weeks ago as the successor to Reince Priebus, reacted calmly, but he later told other White House staff members that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country. In the future, he said, he would not abide such treatment, according to three people familiar with the exchange.

 

While Mr. Kelly has quickly brought some order to a disorganized and demoralized staff, he is fully aware of the president’s volcanic resentment about being managed, according to a dozen people close to Mr. Trump, and has treaded gingerly through the minefield of Mr. Trump’s psyche. But the president has still bridled at what he perceives as being told what to do.

 

© 2017  Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman, Forceful Chief of Staff Grates on Trump, and the Feeling Is Mutual, New York Times (01 September 2017)

 

 

Kelly's reported upset probably says as much about his own ego, as it does the President's

 

A wiser person in the chief of staff's position would have anticipated the Trump River's rapids and prepared for them.

 

Or recognized (accurately) that the President's visibly miserable interpersonal character is beyond anyone's ability to help.

 

The inferable fact that General Kelly did neither says something.

 

That something may explain our military's decades-long inability to learn or anticipate anything insightfully enough to win strategic victories.

 

 

The moral? — When a supernova narcissist outranks you, be prepared for frequent stool baths

 

I imagine that General Kelly ruffled plenty of feathers in his own boss time.

 

"No whining" would probably be familiar advice.