Trump’s outgoing chief of staff bashed the administration for not foreseeing blowback over the “zero-tolerance” immigration policy.
Outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly says former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is to blame for the Trump administration’s controversial “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, which separated children from parents who illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Kelly spoke out about the policy ― as well as his tumultuous tenure in the White House ― in an interview published in The Los Angeles Times on Sunday.
The retired Marine general told the Times that the White House had been caught off guard by Sessions’ family separation announcement in April.
Sessions “was the one that instituted the zero-tolerance process on the border that resulted in both people being detained and the family separation,” Kelly said. “He surprised us.”
Without singling out anyone, Kelly blasted the administration for failing to anticipate the massive public outcry sparked by the policy. A federal judge in June ordered a halt to most family separations at the border and demanded families affected by the policy be reunified immediately.
In the interview, Kelly threw cold water on President Donald Trump’s longtime promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
John Kelly Blames Jeff Sessions For Family Separation Policy: 'He Surprised Us'
So, Kelly blames Sessions. I blame Trump. What do you think?
Outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly says former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is to blame for the Trump administration’s controversial “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, which separated children from parents who illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Kelly spoke out about the policy ― as well as his tumultuous tenure in the White House ― in an interview published in The Los Angeles Times on Sunday.
The retired Marine general told the Times that the White House had been caught off guard by Sessions’ family separation announcement in April.
Sessions “was the one that instituted the zero-tolerance process on the border that resulted in both people being detained and the family separation,” Kelly said. “He surprised us.”
Without singling out anyone, Kelly blasted the administration for failing to anticipate the massive public outcry sparked by the policy. A federal judge in June ordered a halt to most family separations at the border and demanded families affected by the policy be reunified immediately.
In the interview, Kelly threw cold water on President Donald Trump’s longtime promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
John Kelly Blames Jeff Sessions For Family Separation Policy: 'He Surprised Us'
So, Kelly blames Sessions. I blame Trump. What do you think?