Vice President Kamala Harris said that she believes that Donald Trump 香蕉视频直播渋s a fascist香蕉视频直播� after his longest-serving chief of staff said the former president praised Adolf Hitler while in office and put personal loyalty above the Constitution.
Harris seized on comments by former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, about his former boss in interviews with The New York Times and The Atlantic published Tuesday warning that the Republican nominee meets the definition of a fascist and that Trump, while in office, suggested that the Nazi leader 香蕉视频直播渄id some good things.香蕉视频直播�
Speaking at a CNN town hall Wednesday night, Harris said they offer a window into who the former president 香蕉视频直播渞eally is香蕉视频直播� and the kind of commander in chief he would be.
When asked if she believed that Trump is a fascist, Harris replied twice, 香蕉视频直播淵es, I do.香蕉视频直播� Later, she brought it up herself, saying Trump would, if elected again, be 香蕉视频直播渁 president who admires dictators and is a fascist.香蕉视频直播�
The Democratic presidential nominee said Kelly香蕉视频直播檚 comments, less than two weeks before voters will decide whether to send Trump back to the Oval Office, were a 香蕉视频直播�911 call to the American people香蕉视频直播� by the former chief of staff. They were quickly seized by Harris as part of her closing message to voters as she works to sharpen the choice at the ballot box for Americans.
香蕉视频直播淚 believe Donald Trump is a danger to the well-being and security of the United States of America,香蕉视频直播� she said, saying the American people deserve a president who maintains 香蕉视频直播渃ertain standards,香蕉视频直播� which include 香蕉视频直播渃ertainly not comparing oneself, in a clearly admiring way, to Hitler.香蕉视频直播�
She added that if reelected, Trump would no longer be tempered by people who would 香蕉视频直播渞estrain him香蕉视频直播� from his worst impulses.
Earlier Wednesday, Harris repeated her increasingly dire warnings about Trump香蕉视频直播檚 mental fitness and his intentions for the presidency.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a window into who Donald Trump really is, from the people who know him best, from the people who have worked with him side by side in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room,香蕉视频直播� Harris told reporters outside the vice president香蕉视频直播檚 residence in Washington.
The comments from Kelly, the retired Marine general who worked for Trump in the White House from 2017 to 2019, built on past warnings from former top Trump officials as the election enters its final two weeks.
Kelly has long been critical of Trump and previously accused him of killed in combat 香蕉视频直播渟uckers香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渓osers.香蕉视频直播� His new warnings emerged as Trump seeks a second term vowing to at home and suggesting he would use force to go after Americans he considers 香蕉视频直播渆nemies from within.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淗e commented more than once that, 香蕉视频直播榊ou know, Hitler did some good things, too,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Kelly . Kelly said he would usually quash the conversation by saying 香蕉视频直播渘othing (Hitler) did, you could argue, was good,香蕉视频直播� but Trump would occasionally bring up the topic again.
In his , Kelly recalled that when Trump raised the idea of needing 香蕉视频直播淕erman generals,香蕉视频直播� Kelly would ask if he meant 香蕉视频直播淏ismarck香蕉视频直播檚 generals,香蕉视频直播� referring to Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor who oversaw the unification of Germany. 香蕉视频直播淪urely you can香蕉视频直播檛 mean Hitler香蕉视频直播檚 generals,香蕉视频直播� Kelly recalled asking Trump. To which the former president responded, 香蕉视频直播淵eah, yeah, Hitler香蕉视频直播檚 generals.香蕉视频直播�
Trump said on his Truth Social media platform that Kelly had 香蕉视频直播渕ade up a story香蕉视频直播� and went on to heap insults on his former chief of staff, including that Kelly香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渢oughness morphed into weakness.香蕉视频直播�
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 campaign also denied the accounts. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Kelly had 香蕉视频直播渂eclowned himself with these debunked stories he has fabricated香蕉视频直播� and, after Harris香蕉视频直播� statement, accused the Democratic candidate of sharing 香蕉视频直播渙utright lies and falsehoods.香蕉视频直播�
Chris Sununu, New Hampshire香蕉视频直播檚 Republican governor and onetime Trump critic, said Kelly香蕉视频直播檚 comments did not change his plans to vote for the former president.
香蕉视频直播淟ook, we香蕉视频直播檝e heard a lot of extreme things about Donald Trump, from Donald Trump. It香蕉视频直播檚 really par for the course,香蕉视频直播� the governor told CNN. 香蕉视频直播淯nfortunately, with a guy like that, it香蕉视频直播檚 kind of baked into the vote at this point.香蕉视频直播�
Some of the former president香蕉视频直播檚 supporters in swing states responded to Kelly香蕉视频直播檚 comments with a shrug.
香蕉视频直播淭rump did his four years, and we were in great shape. Kelly didn香蕉视频直播檛 have anything good to say about Trump. He ought to have his butt kicked,香蕉视频直播� said Jim Lytner, a longtime advocate for veterans in Nevada who served in the Army in Vietnam and co-founded the nonprofit Veterans Transition Resource Center.
Harris said Wednesday that Trump admired Hitler香蕉视频直播檚 generals because he 香蕉视频直播渄oes not want a military that is loyal to the United States Constitution, he wants a military that is loyal to him. He wants a military who will be loyal to him personally.香蕉视频直播�
Polls show the race is tight in swing states, and both Trump and Harris are crisscrossing the country making their final pitches to the sliver of undecided voters. Harris香蕉视频直播� campaign has spent considerable time reaching out to independent voters, using the support of longtime Republicans such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and comments like Kelly香蕉视频直播檚 to urge past Trump voters to reject his candidacy in November.
Harris香蕉视频直播� campaign held a call with reporters Tuesday to elevate the voices of retired military officials who highlighted how .
香蕉视频直播淧eople that know him best are most opposed to him, his presidency,香蕉视频直播� said retired Army Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson.
Anderson said he wished Kelly would fully back Harris over Trump, something he has yet to do. But retired Army Reserve Col. Kevin Carroll, a former senior counselor to Kelly, said Wednesday that the former top Trump official would 香蕉视频直播渞ather chew broken glass than vote for Donald Trump.香蕉视频直播�
Before serving as Trump香蕉视频直播檚 chief of staff, Kelly worked as the former president香蕉视频直播檚 secretary of homeland security, where he oversaw Trump香蕉视频直播檚 attempts to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Kelly was also at the forefront of the administration香蕉视频直播檚 crackdown in immigration policy that led to the separation of thousands of immigrant parents and their children along the southern border. Those actions made him a villain to many on the left, including Harris.
After Kelly left the Trump administration and of a company operating the nation香蕉视频直播檚 largest detention center for unaccompanied migrant children, Harris wrote during her 2019 run for president that he was 香蕉视频直播渢he architect香蕉视频直播� of the administration香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渃ruel child separation policy. Now he will profit off the separation of families. It香蕉视频直播檚 unethical. We are better than this.香蕉视频直播�
When she was in Miami for a primary debate in June 2019, Harris was also one of a dozen Democratic presidential candidates who visited the detention center south of the city and protested against the administration香蕉视频直播檚 harsh treatment of young migrants.
In his interview with the Times, Kelly also said Trump met the definition of a fascist. After reading the definition aloud, including that fascism was 香蕉视频直播渁 far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader,香蕉视频直播� Kelly concluded Trump 香蕉视频直播渃ertainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.香蕉视频直播�
Kelly added that Trump often fumed at any attempt to constrain his power, and that 香蕉视频直播渉e would love to be香蕉视频直播� a dictator.
香蕉视频直播淗e certainly prefers the dictator approach to government,香蕉视频直播� Kelly told the Times, adding later, 香蕉视频直播淚 think he香蕉视频直播檇 love to be just like he was in business 香蕉视频直播� 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.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that Trump was 香蕉视频直播渇ascist to the core香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渢he most dangerous person to this country.香蕉视频直播� And retired Gen. Jim Mattis, who worked as secretary of defense under Trump, that he agreed with Milley香蕉视频直播檚 assessment.
Throughout Trump香蕉视频直播檚 political rise, the businessman-turned-politician benefited from the support of military veterans.
AP VoteCast that about 6 in 10 military veterans said they voted for Trump in 2020, as did just over half of those with a veteran in the household. Among voters in this year香蕉视频直播檚 South Carolina Republican primary, AP VoteCast found that close to two-thirds of military veterans and people in veteran households voted for Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump香蕉视频直播檚 toughest opponent in the 2024 Republican primary.
