WASHINGTON -
Donald Trump鈥檚 longest-serving chief of staff is warning that the Republican presidential nominee meets the definition of a fascist and that while in office, Trump suggested that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler 鈥渄id some good things."
The comments from John Kelly, the retired Marine general who worked for Trump in the White House from 2017 to 2019, came in interviews with both The New York Times and The Atlantic. They build on a a growing series of warnings from former top Trump officials as the election enters its final weeks.
Kelly has long been critical of Trump and previously accused him of calling veterans killed in combat 鈥渟uckers鈥 and 鈥渓osers.鈥 Still, his new warnings came just two weeks before Election Day, as Trump seeks a second term vowing to dramatically expand his use of the military at home and suggesting he would use force to go after Americans he considers 鈥渆nemies from within.鈥
鈥淗e commented more than once that, 鈥榊ou know, Hitler did some good things, too,鈥欌 Kelly recalled to The Times. Kelly said he would usually quash the conversation by saying 鈥渘othing (Hitler) did, you could argue, was good,鈥 but that Trump would occasionally bring up the topic again.
In his interview with The Atlantic, Kelly recalled that when Trump raised the idea of needing 鈥淕erman generals,鈥 Kelly would ask if he meant 鈥淏ismarck鈥檚 generals,鈥 referring to Otto von Bismarck, the former chancellor of the German Reich who oversaw the unification of Germany. 鈥淪urely you can鈥檛 mean Hitler鈥檚 generals,鈥 Kelly recalled asking Trump. To which the former president responded, 鈥淵eah, yeah, Hitler鈥檚 generals.鈥
Trump鈥檚 campaign denied these stories on Tuesday, with Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, arguing Kelly has 鈥渂eclowned himself with these debunked stories he has fabricated.鈥
Polls show the race is tight in a string of swing states, and both Trump and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are crisscrossing the country making their final pitches to the sliver of undecided voters.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris鈥 running mate who served 24 years in various units and jobs in the Army National Guard, quickly used the interviews to assail Trump on Tuesday night.
鈥淔olks, the guardrails are gone,鈥 Walz said speaking in Wisconsin. 鈥淭rump is descending into this madness 鈥 a former president of the United States and the candidate for president of the United States says he wants generals like Adolf Hitler had.鈥
Kelly also said in his interview with The Times that Trump met the definition of a fascist. After reading the definition aloud, including that fascism was 鈥渁 far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader,鈥 Kelly concluded Trump 鈥渃ertainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.鈥
Kelly added that Trump often fumed at any attempt to constrain his power, and that 鈥渉e would love to be鈥 a dictator.
鈥淗e certainly prefers the dictator approach to government,鈥 Kelly told The Times. Adding later, 鈥淚 think he鈥檇 love to be just like he was in business 鈥 he could tell people to do things and they would do it, and not really bother too much about whether what the legalities were and whatnot.鈥
Kelly is not the first former top Trump administration official to cast the former president as a threat. Retired Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, who served as Trump鈥檚 chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Bob Woodward in his recent book 鈥淲ar鈥 that Trump was 鈥渇ascist to the core鈥 and 鈥渢he most dangerous person to this country.鈥 And retired Gen. Jim Mattis, who worked as U.S. secretary of defense under Trump, reportedly later told Woodward that he agreed with Milley鈥檚 assessment.