MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough sharply criticized first daughter Ivanka Trump today, saying that a tweet about “working alongside” new chief of staff Gen. John Kelly could be damaging to the president. “You will cause your father to fail,” said Scarborough.
On Monday, Ivanka Trump tweeted, “Looking forward to serving alongside John Kelly as we work for the American people. General Kelly is a true American hero.” It immediately raised questions about the propriety of the Trump White House’s reporting structure and the ongoing effect of nepotism in the Oval Office.
Scarborough took issue with the “alongside” bit, calling the tweet “repulsive” and “repugnant.”
Kelly, a 45-year veteran of the Marines and the former Department of Homeland security secretary, was sworn in as chief of staff on Friday, after the previous occupant of that office, Reince Priebus, was fired. A common complaint surrounding Priebus was that he didn’t appropriately limit or control staffers’ access to the president.
Scarborough said Kelly needed space to implement a proper chain of command. “The only way this works is everybody reports to General Kelly,” he said, “Sons, daughters, son-in-laws, everybody, friends, acquaintances, they all have to go through General Kelly if you want the White House to work.”
In terms of the first daughter “working alongside” the general, Scarborough said: “I am going to be working alongside the chief of staff? No you’re not. Not if this White House is to function, not if you care about what’s in Donald Trump’s best interests, not if you care about what’s in this country’s best interests. You will not, in the office, work alongside the Chief of Staff or you will cause your father to fail. It’s that simple. If you want Donald Trump to succeed, you will get out of the way.”
“This is not personal against Ivanka Trump,” Scarborough said, but continued: “It illustrates exactly what has hurt this White House over the last six months.”
