John Kelly denies calling Donald Trump an 'idiot' saying it is 'total BS'

White House chief of staff John Kelly listens as US President Donald Trump speaks at a briefing with senior military leaders. Kelly has denied calling Trump an idiot. Photo / Getty

John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, has denied a report that he called Donald Trump an "idiot"

In a rare public statement Kelly called the report by NBC News "total BS".

The US network reported on Monday that Kelly has privately criticised the president's knowledge on issues including immigration.

According to the report Kelly had also cast himself as protecting the country from Trump's intentions.

In his statement Kelly said: "I spend more time with the president than anyone else and we have an incredibly candid and strong relationship.

White House chief of staff John Kelly has called the story 'total BS'. Photo / AP

"He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS."

He added that he was committed to Trump and his agenda.

"This is another pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from the administration's many successes," he said.

NBC reported that Kelly used the word "idiot" with staff in his office during a meeting about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme.

It protects the co-called Dreamers, illegal immigrants who were brought to the US as children.

According to NBC News the chief of staff felt Trump did not fully understand the issue and was planning to give ground to Democrats.

Kelly, a former Marine Corps general, was reported to have said: "He doesn't even understand what Daca is. He's an idiot. We've got to save him from himself."

A series of White House officials denied the report.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Kelly last month said the president was "becoming unhinged'.

John Kelly told sr national security officials last month that he believed the President was becoming "unhinged," a senior admin official tells me. Kelly made the comments in a room w/ Mattis, Dunford & NSC officials after Trump said publicly he wanted to pull troops from Syria.

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) April 30, 2018

An admin official confirms Kelly sometimes used "salty" language when talking about Trump after the president clashed with the COS over who would become DHS Sec.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 30, 2018

The comment was alleged to have been made during a meeting with Jim Mattis. the defence secretary, and senior national security council officials.

An official told CNN the alleged comment was made in a "moment of frustration" after Trump said he wanted to get US troops out of Syria.

There was no immediate response from Kelly to that report.

Last year, Rex Tillerson was reported to have called Trump a "moron".

The incident was similarly denied but Trump subsequently challenged his then secretary of state to an IQ test, and later fired him.