There was a remarkable detail from this report on Trump’s DACA maneuvering regarding John Kelly’s alarmist view of Mexico:

He likened Mexico, one of the United States’ most important trading and law enforcement partners, to Venezuela under the regime of Hugo Chávez [bold mine-DL], the former leader, suggesting it was on the verge of a collapse [bold mine-DL] that would have repercussions in the United States, according to two people who attended the meeting.

Mexico has some real internal problems, but the idea that it is on the “verge of collapse” or comparable to Venezuela under Chavez is nonsense. Before he retired, Kelly commanded Southcom, which does not include Mexico, and so he may be making assumptions about Mexico based on that experience that aren’t valid. Whatever the reason for Kelly’s claim, it is an indication of his poor judgment, and it suggests that he will be giving alarmist advice to the president on this and other matters concerning perceived foreign threats. At best, this claim will further sour relations with Mexico, and it bodes ill for other U.S. policies in the region.