John Kelly and the Language of the Military Coup

In October 2017, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine general, defended President Donald Trump during a press briefing regarding a controversial phone call to the widow of a fallen soldier. According to reports at the time, Kelly disputed the account of the call provided by Representative Frederica Wilson and questioned her motives. Kelly criticized Wilson, calling her an “empty barrel” and accusing her of previously bragging about securing federal funding for a Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Florida during the presidency of Barack Obama. Kelly also spoke about the divide between civilians and the military, remarking that the small percentage of Americans who serve in the armed forces feel sorry for civilians who do not.

The dispute sparked significant political backlash. Seventeen female members of the Congressional Black Caucus released a statement requesting an apology from Kelly to Representative Wilson, accusing the Chief of Staff of lying. Representative Wilson maintained that the president had been insensitive during the call, reporting that the widow was upset because Trump did not refer to her deceased husband by name, instead referring to him only as “your guy.” The phone call had reportedly been placed on speakerphone.

While Kelly stated he had advised Trump on how to speak to the families of fallen service members, critics argued his briefing demonstrated an increasingly militaristic tone. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that the administration was continuing to look into the situation.