Nuclear Football Feud: John Kelly, Chinese Officials Clash During Trump's China Visit

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a United States military aide and a Secret Service agent, who was carrying a nuclear football, engaged in a brawl with some Chinese officials during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing in November last year, Axios reported Sunday.

According to the report, the brawl began when the U.S. officials entered the Great Hall of the People carrying the nuclear football and were stopped by Chinese officials. The incident took place Nov. 9, 2017.

The nuclear football is a briefcase that contains the launch codes to be used by the president in case of authorizing a nuclear attack. White House protocol states the military aide carrying the nuclear football is required to stay close to the president at all times. However, he was stopped from entering the Great Hall along with Trump.

According to sources, when the aide was stopped by Chinese officials, Kelly rushed to his rescue and told him "We're moving in.” However, a Chinese official grabbed Kelly’s hand and prevented him from moving further. The Secret Service agent then intervened and grabbed the Chinese security official and tackled him to the ground, leading to a huge commotion.

The brawl soon ended with the president and his team following Chinese protocol and regular security procedure. According to the report, the brawl “was over in a flash, and the U.S. officials told about the incident were asked to keep quiet about it.”

This was not the first time the U.S. officials met with hindrance during a visit to China. In September 2016, former president Barack Obama too was subjected to a snub when he arrived for the G-20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

At the time when Obama landed at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, he was forced to disembark the Air Force One using an alternative exit, unlike other dignitaries who were provided with a red carpet welcome.

Obama’s trip too witnessed a brawl between his aides and Chinese security officials who said the journalists traveling with Obama would be forbidden from getting close to him since it was considered to be a breach of the decorum followed by China. When the U.S. officials said they have their own set of rules to be followed, the Chinese officials yelled at them saying: “This is our country! This is our airport!”

Susan Rice, the national security advisor at the time, and the then senior White House advisor Ben Rhodes, who tried getting close to the president, were stopped by the Chinese officials.

"They did things that weren't anticipated," Rice said at the time.

However, Obama remained calm and composed during the entire scuffle. When asked about the access for journalists during events like the G-20 summit, Obama said at the time: "We don't make apologies for pushing a little bit harder when it comes to press access."