Former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, told the Washington Post that Donald Trump is daunted by his 37-count indictment alleging that he mishandled classified documents.
Trump was indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith last week, making him the first former president to ever face criminal charges. He was arrested and booked at the Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday and is being charged with willful retention of classified national security information, obstruction of justice and falsifying statements and evidence during the Department of Justice’s investigation. He pled not guilty on all counts.
The former president faces a maximum of 400 years in prison if he is convicted of and receives the longest sentence for every charge, which is unlikely.
Kelly first joined the Trump administration as homeland security secretary but was promoted to chief of staff in 2017.
“He’s scared s—less,” said Kelly.
Following his court appearance, Trump stopped at a South Florida Cuban restaurant to visit with supporters who attended the arraignment. He took selfies, led a few chants, and sat while his allies sang him “Happy Birthday,” as he turned 77 on Wednesday.
Kelly believes that Trump’s interactions with his supporters are merely coping mechanisms that the former president uses to hide his fear of the upcoming litigations that will presumably take place over the next few months.
“For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable. Up until this point in his life, it’s like, ‘I’m not going to pay you; take me to court.’ He’s never been held accountable before.”
Following his exit from the White House, Kelly has reportedly described Trump as “the most flawed person” he has ever known.
“The depths of his dishonesty are just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else,” said Kelly.
