John Kelly

1950 – 20??

John Francis Kelly is an American retired U.S. Marine Corps general who served as the second White House chief of staff to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019 and previously as the fifth Secretary of Homeland Security in 2017. As Homeland Security Secretary he implemented the early stages of the family-separation policy on the southern border, and as chief of staff he defended the practice in public while later confirming, after leaving office, that he believed Trump was "a person who has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law." He has since been one of the most prominent former senior officials to publicly characterize his former boss as a fascist.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM