Watch an extremely uncomfortable John Kelly squirm as Trump rants about Germany at the NATO summit

John Kelly.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/ABC News)

Chief of Staff John Kelly has been rumored to be on the verge of leaving the White House practically since he got in, but the gossip has ramped up in recent months to what seems like a breaking point. "Kelly has referred to [President] Trump multiple times as an 'idiot,' and has grown frustrated with his policy ignorance," Vanity Fair wrote in April.

While it is always prudent to take such reports with a grain of salt, Kelly certainly looked wickedly uncomfortable on Wednesday as he listened to Trump go to town on Germany at the NATO summit breakfast. As the president defiantly told allies "Germany is totally controlled by Russia" and "you tell me if that's appropriate," Kelly squirmed in the background, looking like he wished he could be swallowed up by the floor.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.