'No president is a dictator': John Kelly backs Mattis's take on Trump -- and says we need leaders with 'ethics'

President Donald Trump's former chief of staff on Friday spoke out in defense of former Trump Secretary of Defense James Mattis's scathing assessment of President Donald Trump.

In an interview with former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, Kelly said that "I agree" with what Mattis said about how dangerous it is for the president to propose using the American military against American citizens who are protesting against police brutality.

"The idea you would unleash American active duty folks unless it's an extreme situation... the troops hate it," Kelly said. "They don't see it as their jobs. They don't want to be used in that way."

Kelly also added that it's important that the president not override state and local officials who do not want to have the military patrolling their streets.

"The separation of powers is very very important," he said. "No president ever is a dictator or a king."

Elsewhere in the interview, Kelly suggested that Americans need to do a better job of picking their leaders.

"I think we need to look harder at who we elect," he said. "What is their character like. What are their ethics. Are they willing... to represent all of their constituents, not just the base."