White House chief of staff John Kelly says a report he called President Donald Trump an idiot is "total BS".
Kelly said in a statement he and Trump have "an incredibly candid and strong relationship".
"He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS," he said on Monday.
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NBC reported Kelly had on multiple occasions criticised Trump's knowledge on issues such as immigration and has cast himself as a protecting the country from Trump's impulses.
The report also said Trump was growing tired of Kelly's attitude.
Trump appeared to react to the report on Twitter Monday night, tweeting: "The Fake News is going crazy making up false stories and using only unnamed sources (who don't exist)."
In recent months, Trump has chafed at Kelly's controlling management style and has occasionally talked with friends about replacing him.
In his early days in the White House, Kelly imposed strict controls on access and the flow of information to Trump, though his direct influence has waned somewhat, aides said.
