John Kelly says Trump's family had to be 'dealt with'

It sure doesn't sound like White House Chief of Staff John Kelly misses his old job, especially not working with President Trump's family.
When asked in a new interview with Bloomberg if it was "complicated" to have Trump's family working in government while he was chief of staff, Kelly responded that "they're an influence that has to be dealt with." He quickly clarified that he's "by no means" talking about first lady Melania Trump.
Although he didn't specifically name them, Kelly was alluding to senior adviser Jared Kushner and adviser Ivanka Trump, whose fraught relationship with Kelly has been reported. In fact, Trump's daughter and son-in-law reportedly lobbied for Kelly to be replaced, and Kelly was "furious" at them when he departed the administration, The New York Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
Asked to describe what it was like working in the White House, Kelly said that being chief of staff was "very, very hard" and "meaningful" but "not very enjoyable," suggesting part of that is due to the struggle of "bringing together" an entire White House staff.
Although Kelly has offered some criticism of Trump since leaving the White House, in this interview, he defended the president's controversial 2017 Charlottesville comments, saying Trump was simply trying to say there were "good people in the crowd" but "whether that was articulated properly, I don’t know."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Meghan Markle's new Netflix show and the media backlash
Talking Point With Love, Megan offers fresh insights into her 'mind-bogglingly exclusive lifestyle' in California
By The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 7, 2025
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - viral sensations, frozen donkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freeze
Speed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump touts early wins in partisan speech to Congress
Speed Read The president said he is 'just getting started' with his sweeping changes to immigration, the economy and foreign policy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trudeau blasts Trump's 'very dumb' trade war
Speed Read Retaliatory measures have been announced by America's largest trading partners following Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after public spat
Speed Read Trump and J.D. Vance berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what they saw as insufficient gratitude
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's Mexico and Canada tariffs begin, roiling markets
Speed Read Stocks plunged after Trump affirmed that the tariffs would take effect, sparking a likely trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published