A Senate Democrat widely denounced for reportedly calling White House chief of staff John Kelly "a disgrace to the uniform he used to wear" doubled-down on the trash-talk Tuesday, saying Gen. Kelly is "mean."
Appearing Tuesday at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute event, Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., was asked by The Washington Post to clarify his unusually personal rebuke of the former Marine general for supporting President Donald Trump's decision to end the Obama-era program shielding illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children.
"He's a politician, OK, not a general," Gutiérrez said, the Post reported.
"I don't see a uniform. He's a politician who works for [President] Donald Trump. A politician who didn't stand up when the president of the United States attacked a real war hero, John McCain."
Gutiérrez also criticized Kelly for saying nothing to stop Trump from criticizing the family of a deceased Muslim U.S. military veteran, or to stop the president's calls to ban transgender people from serving in uniform.
"I understand" where some of the criticism is coming from, Gutiérrez said, "but what could be more mean and more vicious than to say you've got six months to pack up your bag and to leave the United States of America?"
Gutiérrez had faced a fierce backlash from Democrats and Republicans for his attack — including from Gen. Kelly himself, who Monday blamed Congress for the impending demise of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
"As far as the congressman and other irresponsible members of Congress are concerned, they have the luxury of saying what they want as they do nothing and have almost no responsibility," Kelly said.
"I begged and pleaded with them. They did exactly nothing."
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