R.I.P. John Kelly's Soul

Trump's latest unforced error -- screwing up a phone call that was supposed to console the grieving widow of a fallen soldier -- has ensnared his chief of staff in his web of lies. Trump corrupts everyone he touches, even the noblest soldiers.

John Kelly, who was by all accounts an honorable man, made a public statement in front of the press that was full-on Trump: one lie after another attacking Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who called Trump to account for the botched condolence call. Kelly said:

"And a congresswoman stood up, and in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there and all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call he gave the money -- the $20 million -- to build the building."

The video of the ceremony that Kelly references clearly shows that everything Kelly said -- from her bragging about getting the funding to understating the cost of the building by an order of magnitude -- was a lie.

Now I can understand why Kelly is upset about the incident. It hits very close to home -- his son died in service to his country. Kelly coached Trump on what to say. He was on the call. He thought Trump had relayed his message properly. Trump tried to. But Trump is just bad at being president.

Trump is great at gushing phony praises and insults, but he's terrible at talking to people in any meaningful way. He's not very smart. He's selfish and self-centered. He can't relate to anyone but fat rich white men. He has bad words.

Apparently Kelly told Trump to say something along the lines of "Your husband died doing what he loved -- defending his country." But Trump told the widow that her husband "knew what he signed up for … but when it happens it hurts anyway."

Now, why did Trump phrase it that way? Because it's all about Trump. Trump was trying to avoid responsibility for Johnson's death by emphasizing that the soldier knew he could die, and it wasn't Trump's fault.

And this is how the family probably heard it: "Don't blame Trump, what's-his-name knew what he signed up for." Yeah, Trump forgot Johnson's name.

Let's construct an example of this usage that should make it crystal clear to John Kelly why Johnson's family took offense at Trump's phrasing:

Today John Kelly got up in front of the press corps and made himself look like a marionette with Trump's fat arm poking through the back of his jacket and his stubby fingers moving Kelly's lips.

But you shouldn't feel sorry for Kelly. He knew what he signed up for when he became Trump's chief of staff: being a yes-man, shill and liar.

I assume Kelly knew he was lying. He was just sending talking points out to Fox News and spinning for the base. But at this point Kelly is so wrapped up in the spinning, the lies and the corruption that he's lost his way. He can't think like a normal person anymore.

Normal human beings would simply have said that they were sorry for the misunderstanding and wished the family the best. They would have had no further comment. And if they had let it go there that would have been the end. But there are no normal human beings at the White House.

Billy Mumy, from "It's a Good Life"

Trump's employees are like the parents of the child with god-like powers that Billy Mumy played in the classic Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life." They are scared witless by a seven-year-old all-powerful monster that always has to have the last word.

To gain entry to this White House you have to sell your soul to Trump. All must dedicate themselves to his never-ending glory.

They should put a sign over the gates of the Inferno that the White House has become:

"Abandon all truth, empathy and dignity, ye who enter here."