On John F. Kelly

Josh Marshall, writing about John F. Kelly’s spoken comments on the Civil War, Robert E. Lee, and Representative Frederica Wilson:

Kelly is not an adult in the room. He’s an example of what we might call Total Quality Trumpism, Trumpist ideology in a more disciplined, duty-focused, professional package. The core ideology and beliefs about reclamation and rectitude are the same. It’s not an accident that he ended up in the tightest circle of Trump’s orbit. . . .

Kelly’s eyes appear wide open. His tie to Trump seems to be based on a deep commonality of belief and a desire to sand away the rough edges of Trump to ensure the core goals of Trumpism succeed.

Ta-Nehisi Coates, in a series of tweets:

But, like, when the “adult in the room” believes a war for slavery was honorable. . .

Believes that the torturer of humans, vendor of people, who led that war was honorable. . .

When that dude portrays a sitting member of Congress as some shucking and jiving hustler. . .

When he sticks by that portrayal of a black women, in the face of clear video evidence, when he has so descended into the dream. . .

You really do see the effect of white supremacy.