Kelly: Trump doesn’t ask ‘how other presidents did this’

White House chief of staff John Kelly on Sunday said President Trump remains “fairly unconventional” after a year in office, noting he rarely asks how other presidents have made decisions in the past.

“The norms and conventions are exactly what he ran against and, in his view, are why we’re in the fix we’re in. He doesn’t intentionally make decisions that are opposite, say, of what a previous president would make. He’s got a view of what’s better for America,” Kelly told The New York Times.

Trump has made a number of decisions to reverse regulations, legislation and deals put into place by former President Obama, which many experts see as an intentional strategy to undermine the previous administration. 

Trump has frequently compared himself to past presidential administrations when touting his achievements, often saying he has done more than any other president.

He tweeted earlier this week that his approval rating was similar to Obama’s at this point in his predecessor’s first year in office.

While the Fake News loves to talk about my so-called low approval rating, @foxandfriends just showed that my rating on Dec. 28, 2017, was approximately the same as President Obama on Dec. 28, 2009, which was 47%…and this despite massive negative Trump coverage & Russia hoax!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017

He also claimed earlier this week that he broke former President Truman’s record for signing legislation — a claim Politifact ranked “false” after finding Trump had signed the lowest number of first-year bills out of any post-World War II president.

Kelly, a retired four-star general, was hired as chief of staff in July to replace Reince Priebus and reportedly bring discipline and order to the White House. 

{mosads}Since Kelly was brought on, there have been multiple high-level departures in the West Wing, including former chief strategist Stephen Bannon and aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who reportedly clashed with Kelly.

Kelly acknowledged in his interview with The New York Times that Trump is “fairly unconventional,” but said the president is “fully briefed” on the positives and negatives surrounding different issues.

Kelly told the newspaper that he hasn’t tried to control the president, but instead has tried to control the information he sees. 

“I’m not put on earth to control him. But I have been put on earth to make this staff work better and make sure this president, whether you voted for him or not, is fully informed before he makes a decision. And I think we achieved that,” Kelly said.

— Updated 10:51 a.m.