The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee said Thursday that former Defense Secretary John Kelly will resign from his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after President Donald Trump announced he was ending his service in the White House.
“John Kelly will not be joining the Joint Chief of Staff,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.
“His appointment is final and will be made on a temporary basis.”
The announcement comes just hours after Trump took to Twitter to formally announce the decision to end Kelly’s three-year term as commander-in-chief of the US military.
“The commander-inspector-in, chief of staff and principal deputy chief of the military service are all out of a job.
They are no longer necessary.
We are doing what is best for our troops,” Trump said on Thursday.
“The United States will no longer be the policeman of the world.”
On Thursday morning, Kelly took to the Whitehouse to sign a memorandum of understanding with Trump, which will lead to his removal from the role.
Kelly was appointed by Trump in February 2016 to lead the Joint Force Transformation Office (JFTO) and oversee the US strategy for the global war on terror.
According to the memorandum of agreement, Kelly will be the chairman of JFTO and will oversee its implementation.
Kelly will be removed from the position after his term expires at the end of the year, but he will continue to serve in the Trump administration.
Kelly’s decision comes just days after the US Army announced it was terminating his military career, and the Trump Administration said he would continue to lead his military advisory council.
