Jeh Johnson: Government ‘best served’ if Kelly stays on

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said during a Sunday morning interview that White House chief of staff John Kelly should stay in his position as long as President Trump is in the Oval Office.

“As long as Donald Trump is president, our government is best served if John Kelly is in the job of chief of staff,” Johnson told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“That might be a minority view among my Democratic friends but that is my view,” he said.

Kelly has faced criticism for his response to allegations that White House staff secretary Rob Porter domestically abused his two ex-wives. Porter resigned last week.

{mosads}Kelly has reportedly indicated he is willing to resign in the wake of the scandal.

But the White House contradicted these reports. In a statement provided to CNN, the White House said Kelly has not offered to step down.

Johnson on Sunday also had some “friendly advice” for Kelly: “less press … fewer public statements.”

“Leon Panetta once said that the chief of staff is someone who should not be the issue,” Johnson said. “I encourage John to hunker down and do his job.”

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday morning that the president has full faith in Kelly.