Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, was very loyal to Donald Trump during her tenure. She even enforced Trump’s harsh family separation policy. But prior to her departure, Kristjen decided to reject Trump’s direction to “shut down the border.”
Now, according to the upcoming book “A Very Stable Genius,” by reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, Trump did not like that Nielsen refused to follow his orders to the point that he would “abuse,” “harass,” and “pester” her.
“In some instances, the volatile president was verbally and emotionally abusive toward Nielsen,” wrote Rucker and Leonnig. “‘Kirstjen, you’re just not tough enough,’ Trump would tell her. Trump complained Nielsen did not “look the part” of homeland security secretary. He made fun of her and believed that at about five feet four inches she was not physically intimidating. ‘She’s so short,’ Trump would tell others about Nielsen. She and Kelly would try to make light of it. Kelly would rib her and say, ‘But you’ve got those little fists of fury!’”
Trump publicly threatened to shut down the border in March 2019, saying, “I’m not playing games.” Nielsen stepped down the following month.
