Sen. Lindsey Graham praised the selection Friday of John Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, to be President Trump’s new chief of staff as one that puts Trump “in good hands.”
“The selection of Secretary Kelly as the new Chief of Staff will bring unparalleled leadership skills to the job,” Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement about half an hour after Trump revealed the staffing shuffle in a slew of tweets.
Graham’s statement added that “Kelly is one of the strongest and most natural leaders I’ve ever known.”
“As a Marine Corps officer, he instilled loyalty, respect and admiration from all who served under him,” he said. “As Secretary of Homeland Security, he has been very effective in engaging members of Congress and communicating a coherent message for the President. Secretary Kelly has earned respect and admiration from both sides of the aisle and will be a tremendous asset to the President as Chief of Staff.”
“I’m a firm believer that past performance is the best indicator of future behavior. With this in mind, the President is in good hands with Secretary Kelly,” he concluded.
Kelly, a former Marine general, replaces Reince Priebus, who served for six months since the inauguration. Priebus reportedly resigned privately on Thursday.
Graham said that Priebus, who formerly served as chairman of the Republican National Committee, “has been a good friend for a very long time.”
“He did a terrific job at the RNC and has been a devoted Chief of Staff to the President from the beginning,” Graham said. “He has great relationships with members of Congress and he should be proud of his service.”
