John Kelly Speech Shocker: 'Country First, Trump Second'

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's speech introducing himself to staff sounded "potentially hostile" to President Donald Trump, according to a new memoir by one of the president's former communications aides.

In excerpts published in The Guardian, Cliff Sims details in his book "Team of Vipers" how he was shocked how Kelly's speech hit on the theme of service to country first and the president second.

"Kelly seemed to be saying that… it might be necessary to subvert the president’s wishes in service of some amorphous higher calling," Sims says in the book.

He also talks about the fighting among White House staff, according to The Guardian:

"The whole thing felt like 'Game of Thrones,' but with the characters from 'Veep,'" he says.

"We’re on the same page," Sims has Bannon saying as Kelly came on board. "He knows the border is f***ed. He dealt with it [in his previous role as secretary of homeland security]. "It’s going to be good."

But that soon turned when Kelly had to deny an accusation in journalist Bob Woodward's book he had called Trump and "idiot."

"The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true."

Sims never reports Kelly calling Trump any such name, The Guardian notes, but says Sims does say Kelly "didn’t seem like the most pleasant guy to be around."