Bolton and Kelly get into heated shouting match sparking resignation fears
By Kaitlan Collins and Jeff Zeleny, CNN
10 hrs ago
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.
The President, who sources say was present for the beginning of the shouting match, later denied knowledge of it.
"I've not heard about it. No," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One to fly to Montana on Thursday afternoon.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not deny the incident, and instead pushed blame onto Democrats in a statement later Thursday, insisting that her colleagues are "not angry at one another."
"While we are passionate about solving the issue of illegal immigration, we are not angry at one another. However, we are furious at the failure of Congressional Democrats to help us address this growing crisis," she said.
The statement continued, "They should be ashamed for pushing an open borders agenda and are only doing this for strictly political reasons. Despite us having the worst laws in the world and no help from Democrats, our Administration is doing a great job on the border."
This isn't the first time Nielsen's handling of border security has been scrutinized by the Trump White House.
Trump and Nielsen got into a heated argument during a Cabinet meeting in May over border security, a source with knowledge told CNN.
Trump said he didn't think she was doing enough to secure the border and two people told The New York Times, which first reported the argument, that Nielsen drafted a resignation letter over the matter.
While arguing is frequent in this divided West Wing, a source familiar with the clash equated it with a falling out.
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.
The caravan issue has been the subject of several White House meetings in recent days, according to an administration official. The conversations have centered around not only how to stop the caravan, but also how to use the issue for the upcoming midterms, the official said. Stephen Miller has been heavily involved.
According to unpublished Department of Homeland Security statistics reviewed by The Washington Post, the number of migrant families entering the US reached record levels in the three months since Trump ended migrant family separations -- a result of the administration's zero tolerance immigration policy.
Earlier this week Trump also took note of a migrant caravan formed in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on Saturday and crossed into Guatemala on Monday. The caravan numbers in the thousands, organizers say.
Members of the group told CNN en Español that they decided to join the caravan and head to the United States because of insecurity and a lack of jobs in Honduras. Many are traveling with children in tow.
Trump posted several tweets about the caravan on Tuesday, calling for an end to foreign aid should they continue to travel.
"We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!" Trump tweeted Tuesday night.
Trump has repeatedly called for cuts to foreign aid in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, which, in all, obtained some $260 million in foreign aid for fiscal year 2019.
CNN's Jim Acosta, Maegan Vazquez and Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bolton-and-kelly-get-into-heated-shouting-match-sparking-resignation-fears/ar-BBOzzQw?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U453DHP
Yesterday at 7:23 am by Rocky
» Governor of Baghdad: 20 projects will be included during the current year in the city of Nahrawan
Yesterday at 7:20 am by Rocky
» More than $242 million in central bank sales today
Yesterday at 7:17 am by Rocky
» Advisor: Sudanese is determined to close the displacement file
Yesterday at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The implementation of the 2023 budget witnessed a success that must be invested in
Yesterday at 7:13 am by Rocky
» The Baghdad Council will decide on the nomination of the committees in the coming days
Yesterday at 7:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai: The Sunni community is not in favor of removing American forces
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» A warning from Al-Rasheed to those wishing to apply for advances and loans
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Azerbaijan expresses its desire to participate in the implementation of joint projects in the oil an
Yesterday at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Fuel cards arouse citizens' discontent
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» utube 3/18/24 MM&C Iraqi Dinar-- IQD-- Dinar Update -100% Electronic - Real Effective Exchange Rat
Yesterday at 5:21 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 3/16/24 0:05 / 18:16 Iraq Federal Court Brings - Strength to Financial - Politic
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» MM&C 3/18/24 Sudanese Advisor: Iraq will leave government monetary dealing in mid-2024
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» A delegation from the Kurdistan government visits Baghdad to discuss the issue of localization of sa
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Director of the Central Oil Company: We are keen to provide the appropriate investment environment
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» The Energy Parliament calls for reporting generators violating government pricing
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» A representative reveals the fate of the laws of “previous sessions”
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Politician: Coordination holds the keys to resolving the “Parliament Presidency” conflict
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq wants to carry out its peaceful activity in the field of atomic energy
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Including a minister and a parliamentarian... 38 arrest and recruitment orders were issued against t
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Integrity: Citizens’ cooperation resulted in detecting inflation and returning state funds
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Agriculture presents 97 projects to the Ministerial Council for the Economy
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We succeeded in implementing the 2023 budget, and we must continue to complete economic p
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Labor adopts new mechanisms to reduce the phenomenon of begging
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Electronically.. directing the collection of fees tomorrow in an Iraqi governorate
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Held in Brussels.. Iraq receives an official invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan has been paralyzed. There has been no liquidity in hand for 50 days, and the truth has bee
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» The dollar continues to decline against the Iraqi dinar on the stock exchange and exchange offices
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Oil reveals the reasons for Shell’s withdrawal from Nebras: It will be divided into
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» The Housing Fund advises loan applicants and launches a link for inquiries
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» He stressed that the government’s vision is to make one class not exceed 25 students...Government me
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim and Al-Halbousi stress the importance of choosing a speaker for Parliament in accordance wi
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Iron and Steel Company: Iraq is on the verge of a major industrial revolution
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Economists: Citizens still prefer cash transactions over electronic transactions
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» The compass of Iraq's foreign policy in a world of turbulent polarization
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: The federal budget is in the corridors of the Council of Ministers, and there
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Integrity calls on citizens to report the inflation of funds in the sector of the Ministry of Labor
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs the launch of initiatives for young businessmen and investors
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Representative agriculture emphasizes taking supportive measures for the local product
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» An economist calls on the government to support and stimulate the private sector
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Ittihad: Employees and retirees in Kurdistan paid the price of political differences with Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai and Al-Hakim discuss the importance of achieving political and constitutional entitlemen
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Only 23 million dunums. Iraq exploits approximately 50% of its arable land
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Türkiye considers it a political issue.. Where have the negotiations reached regarding Iraq’s water
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Sudanese receives an invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels - Urgent
Yesterday at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sales exceed $240 million today
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:52 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance calls on the government to expedite sending the 2024 budget to Parliament
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:47 am by Rocky
» ‘We’re So Sick of It’: Northern Border Crisis Gets Worse
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:35 am by Bama Diva
» A representative holds Kurdistan responsible for the faltering legislation of the oil and gas law
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:27 am by Rocky
» Warnings of the danger of the increase in foreign labor in Iraq
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:26 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports to America decreased within a week
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:25 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs an “important” meeting to form the Kirkuk government
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:23 am by Rocky
» Investment confirms the adoption of a new method in new residential cities and explains its details
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:21 am by Rocky
» For the first time in 2024.. exchange rates fall to the threshold of 149 thousand in Baghdad
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:19 am by Rocky
» Including gold.. An increase in exports of 3 Turkish products to Iraq during 2024
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:18 am by Rocky
» A detailed integrity report regarding the Housing Fund... called for this matter
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:17 am by Rocky
» Resources count the number of trespassers in Baghdad.. What about restaurants?
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:16 am by Rocky
» At a cost of approximately two billion dinars... determining the completion rates achieved in the Ma
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:15 am by Rocky
» Parliament awaits the “Cabinet of Ministers” law
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:14 am by Rocky
» Provincial councils return after an absence with a heavy legacy
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:13 am by Rocky
» Iraq is the axis and meeting point of East and West
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:11 am by Rocky
» One million beneficiaries of health insurance early next May
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:10 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Delaying the budget had a negative impact on the performance of the ministrie
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:09 am by Rocky
» The chaos of urban expansion threatens the agricultural character of Diwaniyah
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:08 am by Rocky
» A project to plant Japanese trees in Erbil
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:07 am by Rocky
» A team to prepare the national strategy for national security in Kirkuk
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:06 am by Rocky
» Next Tuesday...concluding a contract to expand the basic design of the city of Mosul
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:04 am by Rocky
» A festival to reduce food prices in Mosul
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:03 am by Rocky
» Technical committees between Baghdad and Erbil to resume oil exports through Türkiye
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:02 am by Rocky
» A model of economic diversification
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:01 am by Rocky
» Variation in the extent to which Iraq was affected by the decision to reduce the credit rating of {T
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:00 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq has made a commitment to receive the entire security file from the Ministry of Inter
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:58 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic stresses the important role of Mr. Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim in the first st
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:56 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Center for Combating Rumors warns against social media celebrities misleading their follow
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:54 am by Rocky
» Integrity investigates the work of the Housing Fund and indicates debts worth 56 billion dinars
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:53 am by Rocky
» Agricultural associations in Karbala welcome the provincial council’s decision to prevent the fragme
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:52 am by Rocky
» Free education lecturers demand that they be given job opportunities and contracts in Kirkuk
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:51 am by Rocky
» The Digital Media Center calls for not browsing links published on a government page
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:50 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic confirms the strength of relations between Iraq and Italy
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:48 am by Rocky
» A decline in Iraq's oil exports to America during the past week
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:47 am by Rocky
» Economic researcher for / NINA /: Iraqi youth are qualified for the labor market and relying on them
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Planning is following up on the Statistics Authority’s preparations to conduct the g
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:45 am by Rocky
» 5 days after sending the money and the Kurdistan government has not paid the salaries...a political
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:44 am by Rocky
» A political reading about Sudanese political concern.. Amending the election law is one of the attem
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:42 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani to the Baghdad government: Pay attention to the outskirts of the capital, and drainage mus
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:41 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi dinar recovers against the dollar in local markets
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:39 am by Rocky
» Investment provides a summary of Bismaya units... and the new cities have “fixed prices” for the fir
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:38 am by Rocky
» “Hidden commissions” on electronic fuel cards, contrary to what is advertised.. To whom does 100 mil
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:37 am by Rocky
» Al-Hasnawi: The government is continuing to accelerate the completion and opening of lagging health
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:36 am by Rocky
» Oil: The gasoline import file will be closed early next year
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:35 am by Rocky
» “My account or your account”... a new problem behind the delay in the salaries of the region’s emplo
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is about to host important events and conferences
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:33 am by Rocky
» In Erdogan's visit to Iraq...the path of development in exchange for water
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:33 am by Rocky
» An American report on Washington’s seriousness in withdrawing from Iraq: Biden does not want to lose
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:30 am by Rocky
» The organization is banned in Iraq.. Baghdad decides the fate of the Workers’ Party after 40 years o
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:29 am by Rocky
» The rain exposes the poor quality of service projects and calls for the dismissal of officials and h
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:28 am by Rocky
» Politician: Ankara needs Baghdad economically, and the path of development is Iraq’s trump card
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:26 am by Rocky
» Economic calls to adopt a new philosophy for implementing strategic projects
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki: My alliance with Al-Sadr is possible, and the movement’s distance from it is an unhealthy
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 4:23 am by Rocky