Wow. Sounds like Bolton and Kelly disagree on how best to handle the border with the caravan of migrants headed our way and they got into a yelling match over it today:
CNN – A heated argument in the West Wing between chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton over a recent surge in border crossings turned into a shouting match Thursday, two sources familiar with the argument told CNN.
The exchange lay bare a bitter disagreement that has existed between two of President Donald Trump’s top aides for weeks now.
Trump, who was incensed about the rising levels of migrants and threatened to shut down the southern border on Twitter earlier that morning, took Bolton’s side during the argument. Bolton favors a harder line approach to the issue and criticized Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during the argument, a source said. Nielsen used to serve as Kelly’s deputy when he ran DHS. Bolton reportedly said Nielsen needed to start doing her job, which incensed Kelly.
While arguing is frequent in this divided West Wing, a source familiar with the clash equated it with a falling out.
The White House declined to comment on the argument. Bolton continued on with scheduled meetings throughout the afternoon.
The fight between Kelly and Bolton startled several aides throughout the West Wing on Thursday, a person who heard the shouting said, adding that the raised voices went well beyond the heated discussions of the Trump administration.
After the blowup, aides whispered privately that one of the men might leave the White House given the deep disagreement over the border. The fact that the President sided with Bolton, which only added to Kelly’s fury.
A White House official said later that tempers had cooled and Kelly was not going to leave. Another declined to comment.
We don’t know the specifics of what the argument was about. But if what they say is true that Trump took Bolton’s side, and judging from Trump’s tweet this morning that he’ll use the military to close the border, I would suspect that might have been the bone of contention. After all using the military might be an insult to DHS who controls the border. They report that Bolton sid Nielsen needs to start doing her job so…
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Bolton yelling like that. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall for that discussion.