Former White House Chief of Staff and Marine General John Kelly characterized Republican ex-president Donald Trump as fitting the “general definition of fascist,” preferring a dictatorial approach to governance.
During a conversation with the New York Times, Kelly, who served under Trump from 2017 to 2019, described Trump as the “only president who has all but rejected what America stands for.”
In an interview with the Atlantic, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff disclosed that Trump had once praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, claiming he “did some good things.”
Kelly also mentioned that Trump expressed a desire for military personnel to show him the same respect that Nazi generals showed Hitler.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, denied Kelly’s assertions, telling the Times that Kelly had embarrassed himself by repeating “debunked stories.”
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Conversely, at a CNN town hall, US Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed her view that Trump is a fascist, stating, “Yes, I do,” twice. She warned that a re-elected Trump would admire dictators and embody fascism.
Harris emphasized the threat she believes Trump poses to the U.S., stressing the need for leadership that meets “certain standards,” explicitly not admiring figures like Hitler.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, expressed dismay at Kelly’s remarks about Trump, declaring them “sickening.” At a rally in Wisconsin, Walz added, “The guardrails are gone, Trump is descending into madness.”
