--- title: John Kelly Says Report He Called Trump an Idiot 'Total BS' description: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly responded to reports Monday claiming that he called President Trump an "idiot" multiple times canonical: https://time.com/5260546/john-kelly-donald-trump-idiot/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-30T22:16:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:27.188Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'Total BS.' John Kelly Responds to Reports He Called Trump an Idiot og:description: "He always knows where I stand," Kelly responded og:url: https://time.com/5260546/john-kelly-donald-trump-idiot/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte7756a99071dc3cf/6988e587fb4eac0d2389486d/john-kelly-donald-trump-tweets.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5568 og:image:height: 3132 og:image:alt: TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP-KELLY og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Total BS.' John Kelly Responds to Reports He Called Trump an Idiot twitter:description: "He always knows where I stand," Kelly responded twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte7756a99071dc3cf/6988e587fb4eac0d2389486d/john-kelly-donald-trump-tweets.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Total BS.' John Kelly Responds to Reports He Called Trump an Idiot > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly Insists He Isn't Quitting or Getting Fired [Watch (HLS stream): White House Chief of Staff John Kelly Insists He Isn't Quitting or Getting Fired](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Huzg6FGE.m3u8) (0:47)  _Published 2017-10-12. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says he's not quitting, getting fired or firing anyone else, "unless things change."_ by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 30, 2018 10:16 PM UTC  President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with newly sworn-in White House Chief of Staff John Kelly at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 31, 2017. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with newly sworn-in White House Chief of Staff John Kelly at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 31, 2017. Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Apr 30, 2018 10:16 PM UTC White House Chief of Staff [John Kelly](http://time.com/5174025/trump-kelly-kushner-clearance/) responded to reports Monday claiming that he called President Trump an “idiot” multiple times since taking office nine months ago. “I spend more time with the President than anyone else and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship,” Kelly said in a statement. “He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS. “I am committed to the President, his agenda, and our country,” Kelly added. “This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administration’s many successes.” Kelly’s alleged remarks towards Trump were [reported by NBC](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/kelly-thinks-he-s-saving-u-s-disaster-calls-trump-n868961), which said four White House officials said they witnessed the comments. According to the report, Kelly during his tenure has cast himself as a savior of the White House who prevents Trump from making reckless policy decisions. Many have speculated for months [how long Kelly would remain in the post](http://time.com/5118990/donald-trump-john-kelly-chief-staff/). His appointment in July 2017 was initially praised as a [shrewd pick](http://time.com/4894987/why-general-john-kelly-trump-last-hope/) that would bring discipline and calmness to the White House. Since then, media outlets have reported a growing frustration by Kelly towards the Trump Administration. There are concerns that his status within the White House in dwindling. A number of high-profile officials have left the Trump White House over the past year, including Kelly’s predecessor —Reince Priebus — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. ## Transcript I'm not quitting today. [ LAUGH ] I don't believe, and I just talked to the President, I don't think I'm being fired today. And I am not so frustrated in this job that I'm thinking of leaving. I would tell you, this is the hardest job I've ever had This is in my view the most important job I ever had. I would offer though, it is not the best job I ever had. The best job I ever had, as I've said many times, is when I was an enlisted marine Sargeant infantry man. That was the best job I ever had. So unless things change, I'm not quitting. I'm not getting fired and I don't think they'll fire anyone tomorrow. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5260546/john-kelly-donald-trump-idiot/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5260546/john-kelly-donald-trump-idiot/"},"headline":"'Total BS.' 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