The Story Of How John Kelly Reportedly Told Rex Tillerson He Was Fired Is So, So Awkward

This week, amid more than a year of a record-setting number of firings and resignations for the Trump administration, one of the biggest names yet was given his dismissal. Namely, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose firing was publicly announced on Tuesday. But on Friday, in a meeting with reporters, White House chief of staff John Kelly reportedly revealed how Tillerson was fired, and the details are about as awkward as it gets.

The meeting Kelly participated in was reportedly off-the-record, which means those reporters who were actually invited were bound not to publicly divulge or detail its contents. Since then, however, multiple outlets (including The Daily Beast and Axios) that weren't in on the meeting have reported on what Kelly said, citing sources familiar with the contents of the call. Since these outlets were not invited to the meeting, they are therefore not bound by it being off-the-record.

As such, The Daily Beast reported on Friday that Kelly discussed what Tillerson was up to when he got the news he'd been fired, and from the sounds of things it was pretty unceremonious. Specifically, Kelly reportedly said Tillerson was sitting on a toilet when he got the call, suffering from an upset stomach while abroad in Africa on official business.

According to The Daily Beast's report, sources were "stunned" that Kelly divulged this embarrassing detail about Tillerson's firing. The meeting was reportedly attended not just by the reporters, but also members of the White House staff. It is not clear, needless to say, which sources leaked these details to various press outlets.

Tillerson's tenure at the State Department was not smooth. He's faced scrutiny from media outlets and members of Congress alike for his failure to keep the department fully staffed, and he's been, by conventional standards, extremely tight-lipped with the press.

He was also reported to have called Trump a "f*cking moron" last summer, and to have threatened to resign before being talked out of it by Vice President Mike Pence. Tillerson never actually denied making the "moron" remark, instead saying that he was "not going to dignify the question." The incident reportedly strained his relationship with Trump, although he subsequently remained in his job for months.

Kelly's detail-dishing about Tillerson's firing wasn't the only headline generated by the meeting, either. He also reportedly discussed the recent controversy surrounding Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, defending the purchase of a $31,000 dining room set paid for with HUD funds. Kelly reportedly argued that the table and chairs could last 80 to 100 years, and were therefore sound long-term investments for the department.

Trump has denied reports suggesting that the administration is having trouble finding qualified candidates to take essential government jobs, claiming that everyone wants to work at the White House.

"Many, many people want every single job," Trump said. "Everybody wants to work in the White House. They all want a piece of that Oval Office, they want a piece of the West Wing."

"And It's tough. I like conflict, I like having two people with different points of view, and I certainly have that. And then, I make a decision. But I like watching it, I like seeing it, and I think it's the best way to go."

Tillerson's exit from the Trump administration is just one more milstone in a record-setting 14 months as far as turnover is concerned. No other administration in the modern era has lost as many members of cabinet and senior staff as Trump's has, whether through firings or resignations. Trump himself, however, has denied that the administration is rife with "chaos," insisting instead that it is "only great energy!"