White House chief of staff John Kelly dismissed reports that he is frustrated in his job and considering leaving.
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John Kelly makes rare appearance at White House briefing to say he doesn't 'think he's getting fired today' and is not 'frustrated' with his job
White House chief of staff John Kelly dismissed reports that he is frustrated in the job and considering leaving.
"Although I read it all the time, pretty consistently: I'm not quitting today," Kelly said in his first appearance at a White House press briefing since becoming chief of staff earlier this year. "I don't think I'm being fired today, and I'm not so frustrated in this job I'm thinking of leaving."
"Unless things change, I'm not quitting, I'm not getting fired, and I don't think I'll fire anyone tomorrow."
Kelly spent much of the press conference needling reporters, and alluded to recent reports that said the chief of staff has repeatedly clashed with President Donald Trump and was only staying in his job out of a sense of duty.
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He told reporters that "one of his frustration is you," and advised the reporters in the room to "maybe develop some better sources."
"My only frustration with all due respect to everyone in the room is when I come to work in the morning and see things I allegedly said, or Mr. Trump allegedly said, or people who are going to be fired or whatever," Kelly said. "It's just not true."
He concluded his remarks by insisting that he was "not brought in to control him, and you should not measure my effectiveness as chief of staff by what you think I should be doing."
Since becoming chief of staff earlier this year, Kelly has worked to tighten the flow of information to Trump.
The president has reportedly bristled at the more structured flow of information to the president, and some on the far-right have lamented that Kelly has seemingly restricted some of Trump's access to right-leaning media outlets, thought Trump is still a regular viewer of Fox News' opinion programs.
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White House Chief of Staff ... @ ABC News
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