Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) alleged during a private speech that former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high D-Day for Trump: September 29 Obama says making a voting plan is part of 'how to quarantine successfully' MORE is living in Washington to run a secret operation to take down President Trump.

“President Obama himself said he was going to stay in Washington until his daughter graduated,” Kelly said at the event in remarks caught on video.

“I think we ought to pitch in to let him go someplace else because he’s only there for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to run a shadow government that is going to totally upset the new agenda.”

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But Kelly’s office said in a statement Friday that the lawmaker doesn't think Obama is "personally" running a shadow government.

"Because of the extraordinary interest in Rep. Kelly’s remarks, it is worth clarifying that Rep. Kelly does not believe that President Obama is personally operating a shadow government," his office said in the statement. "He does believe it would be helpful to the new administration if the former president would personally call for an end to all leaks and obstruction by personnel from his administration who currently serve in the Executive Branch under President Trump."

The statement also noted the Kelly's remarks were delivered to a private audience of Republicans and that he was "sharing the frustration of everyone in the room over how they believe certain Obama administration holdovers within the federal bureaucracy are attempting to upset President Trump’s agenda.”

He was speaking at the Mercer County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner.

The Obamas are remaining in Washington while their younger daughter Sasha finishes high school. Barack Obama's two-term presidency ended Jan. 20 when Trump was inaugurated.

Kelly isn’t alone in suspecting that Obama holdovers are threatening Trump and his agenda. Asked about that notion Friday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said it was reasonable to believe that some federal employees may be trying to continue the Obama administration’s work.

“I think that there’s no question when you have eight years of one party in office, that there are people who stay in government who are affiliated with and continue to espouse the agenda of the previous administration,” Spicer said at his daily press briefing.

“I don’t think it should come as any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during eight years of the last administration and may have believed in that agenda and want to continue to seek it.”

Updated at 6:22 p.m.