Gregory Salcido Should 'Go To Hell' For Degrading Military, John Kelly Says

A Pico Rivera, California, teacher and councilman who was under investigation by the school board for belittling the military has now come under the radar of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly who said Gregory Salcido should “go to hell” for his remarks on the military.

During an interview with Fox News Radio, Kelly, who is a retired military general himself, told Brian Kilmeade, “Well, I think the guy ought to go to hell. I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyle that we have fought for.”

The incident is currently being investigated by El Ranco School District. Salcido was kept on an administrative leave since Monday.

“Our classrooms are not the appropriate place for one-sided discussions that undermine the values our families hold dear,” the district said in a statement.

Salcido’s action also managed to draw criticism from Paco Rivera Mayor Gustavo Camacho, who said he was planning to strip Salcido of his committee assignments, New York Post reported.

The incident first came to light when Salcido in a 5-minute speech, recorded by a student, was heard criticising the people who serve in the military.

"We've got a bunch of dumb [expletive] over there. Think about the people who you know who are over there — your freaking stupid Uncle Louie or whatever — they're dumb [expletive]. They're not like high-level thinkers, they're not academic people, they're not intellectual people; they're the freaking lowest of our low," Salcido said in one of the recordings.

Salcido’s rant apparently was in response to a student wearing a Marines shirt or sweatshirt. "You better not freaking go. Don't wear that in here," he said in one recording.

The videos of Salcido’s misdemeanor first went viral after they were shared on Twitter and Facebook by a woman identifying herself as a friend of the student's mother.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Salcido faced backlash for his behavior. Reports stated that in 2010, Salcido was temporarily suspended after a parent complained that he had threatened his daughter and made inappropriate comments about her.

The 49-year-old has been a member of the Pico Rivera city council since he was elected in 1999. He was also mayor of Pico Rivera in 2002, 2010 and 2015. Before his suspension on Monday, he was a history teacher at Born El Rancho High School, which is also his alma mater.

According to his biodata on the City of Pico Rivera's website, Salcido’s mission is to protect and promote the highest quality of life for the residents of the city.

However, his latest comments about the military have left some disappointed.

Bob J. Archuleta, Pico Rivera Councilman appointed to West Point's Board of Visitors under former president Barack Obama, expressed his shock at Salcido’s remarks.

"I am appalled that someone who is educating our children in the classroom can demean our veterans, our men, and women in uniform," Archuleta, who previously served as a paratrooper and whose two sons have graduated from West Point military academy, said.