‘It could have been a John Kelly’: Trump says former chief of staff may have been source for Atlantic story and claims he ‘couldn’t handle’ White House pressure

Donald Trump has said his former chief of staff, John Kelly, could have been one of the four anonymous sources used by The Atlantic in the publication’s report that the president made disparaging comments about military troops.

“It could have been a guy like a John Kelly,” Mr Trump said while calling the story a “hoax”.

The president’s response about his former chief of staff came after he was asked why General Kelly has not denied or confirmed the report in The Atlantic.

“I know John Kelly. He was with me. He had no temperament,” Mr Trump said. He went on to say that Mr Kelly was “exhausted” and “unable to function” by the end of his time with the Trump administration.

“He was unable to handle the pressure of this job,” the president added. Mr Kelly served as Mr Trump’s chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019.

Mr Trump has vehemently denied the report that released this week stating that he objected to visiting the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because he did not see the point in honouring the soldiers who died.

“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” Mr Trump allegedly said. It was reported at the time that the trip was cancelled because his helicopter couldn’t fly in the rain that day and Secret Service was unable to take him to the cemetery.

The White House has denied the reports by releasing a 2018 email stating the weather conditions were too poor that day to fly.

Another incident from the same trip involved Mr Trump allegedly calling the Marines who died at Belleau Wood, one of the toughest battles for the Marines during the First World War, “suckers”.

Other allegations in The Atlantic’s report included Mr Trump questioning a young Marine’s sacrifice during a 2017 Memorial Day visit to Arlington Cemetery with General Kelly, citing multiple sources. The man in question was Mr Kelly’s son 1st Lieutenant Robert Kelly who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.

Mr Trump and General Kelly, who was serving as the president’s secretary of homeland security at the time, stopped at the son’s grave when visiting the cemetery. Mr Trump reportedly turned to General Kelly and said: ”I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”

In an effort to deny the reports, multiple former and current member of the Trump administration have said those instances never happened, adding that the president honours everyone who served in the military.

White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere slammed The Atlantic for using four anonymous sources in the report.

“Not a soul brave enough to put their name on any of these accusations,” he tweeted in response. “That’s because they are false. Just another anonymously sourced story meant to tear down a Commander-in-Chief who loves our military and has delivered on the promises he’s made. What a disgrace!”

Reporters from the Washington Post, the Associated Press, and Fox News have independently confirmed The Atlantic’s story.