John Kelly on Thursday jokingly said “God punished” him by sending him to work in the White House as chief of staff under President Donald Trump.
Kelly made the comment during an anniversary celebration for the Department of Homeland Security, rolling his eyes as he undoubtedly thought of the incessant drama that encompasses his job at the White House.
Chief of Staff John Kelly: "The last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great honors of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security, but I did something wrong and God punished me, I guess." pic.twitter.com/t3ofEumKAi
— ABC News (@ABC) March 1, 2018
Kelly addressed his former DHS colleagues.
“I miss every one of you, every day,” Kelly said. “Truly, at six months, the last thing I wanted to do is walk away from one of the great honors of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security, but I did something wrong and God punished me, I guess.”
A former general, Kelly was hired as chief of staff with the expectation he would bring discipline to the White House. He has not. Instead, Kelly has been accused of possibly lying about his knowledge of former secretary Rob Porter’s alleged domestic abuse.