John Kelly's 'Empty Barrel' Attack Was Racist, Frederica Wilson Says. He has also used it to attack Latino Congressman Luis Gutierrez, He reserves this phrase for racial minorities.

"As General Kelly pointed out, if you're able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes about yourself, you're an empty barrel," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, despite video evidence that Kelly's comments distorted the speech.

Kelly used the same phrase in September to discredit Illinois Democrat Representative Luis Gutiérrez after the congressman called Kelly a "disgrace to the uniform" for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“They can call people liars, but it would be inappropriate for me to say the same thing back at them," Kelly told Fox News. "As my blessed mother used to say ‘empty barrels make the most noise.’"

Kelly faced no shortage of criticism for the repeated "empty barrel" comment. Planned Parenthood posted on Twitter that the phrase is "part of a pattern" of the Trump administration "attacking and undermining" minority politicians.

John Kelly's 'Empty Barrel' Attack Was Racist, Frederica Wilson Says