Exclusive: John Kelly rejects Trumps comments that civilian award is much better than Medal of Honor: Not even close | National-politics [Video]

(CNN) — Former Trump chief of staff and retired Marine Gen. John Kelly rejected former President Donald Trump’s comments that the Presidential Medal of Freedom that honors civilians was “much better” than the Medal of Honor given to service members, telling CNN that the two honors are “Not even close. No equivalency of any kind.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is “given for some good works done or in fewer cases for other considerations, but they’re not even close,” Kelly said.

“Think of Normandy, Iwo Jima, Vietnam or Fallujah,” Kelly told CNN. “The Medal of Honor is earned, not won, by incredibly brave actions on the battlefield under fire typically by very young men who joined when others did not to defend their country. Their oath to the nation is essentially the oath the president and members of Congress take, that federal judges take, that political appointees also take and includes ‘…that I …