John Kelly | |
|---|---|
 Kelly in 2017 | |
| 28th White House Chief of Staff | |
| In office July 31, 2017 – January 2, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Reince Priebus |
| Succeeded by | Mick Mulvaney (acting) |
| 5th United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – July 31, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Elaine Duke |
| Preceded by | Jeh Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Kirstjen Nielsen |
| Commander of the United States Southern Command | |
| In office November 19, 2012 – January 16, 2016 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Douglas M. Fraser |
| Succeeded by | Kurt W. Tidd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Francis Kelly May 11, 1950 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Karen Hernest (m. 1976) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Boston (BA) Georgetown University (MA) National Defense University (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Maritime Service United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1969 (USMS) 1970–1972 (USMC) 1972–1975 (inactive reserves) 1975–2016 (USMC) |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | United States Southern Command 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Multinational Force West |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
John Francis Kelly (born May 11, 1950) is an American former political advisor and retired U.S. Marine Corps general who was White House chief of staff for President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. He had previously been Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration and was commander of United States Southern Command. Kelly is a board member at Caliburn International, a professional-services provider.
Kelly enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was commissioned as an officer near the end of college. He rose through the ranks, eventually serving in his last military post from 2012 to 2016 as a four-star general leading United States Southern Command, the unified combatant command responsible for American military operations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.[1]
Before joining the Trump administration in January 2017, Kelly had been on the board of advisors of DC Capital Partners, an investment firm that owns Caliburn International. Kelly was selected as the first Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. Kelly earned a reputation for being an aggressive enforcer of immigration law. After six months, he was selected to replace Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff in an attempt to bring more stability to the White House.[2] He was the first career military officer to serve in the position since Alexander Haig during the Nixon and Ford administrations.[3]
- ^ Bolstad, Erika (July 19, 2012). "Marine Lt. Gen Kelly testifies to lead Southern Command". McClatchy DC. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ Prokop, Andrew (December 8, 2018). "John Kelly is out as White House chief of staff, Trump announces". Vox. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ Zeitz, Joshua (July 29, 2017). "The Last Time a General Propped Up a President". Politico. Retrieved December 8, 2018.