John Kelly: Trump Made Positive Comments About Hitler, Fits Definition of Fascist
John Kelly, former White House chief of staff under Donald Trump, has made explosive claims in recent interviews, stating that Trump praised Adolf Hitler during his presidency and fits the general definition of a fascist. Kelly’s comments were part of a series of interviews with The New York Times, in which he described troubling remarks made by Trump while in office.
“He commented more than once that, you know, that Hitler did some good things, too,” Kelly said. Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to early 2019, also told the Times that Trump’s admiration for dictators and authoritarian figures places him squarely within the realm of fascism.
“Certainly, the former president is in the far-right area,” Kelly said. “He’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators — he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”
These revelations come amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s rhetoric and actions as he seeks re-election in 2024. Kelly’s remarks have resurfaced previous reports about Trump’s admiration for autocratic leaders, including his alleged praise of Hitler’s generals. According to The Atlantic, Trump once privately said, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had,” referring to their loyalty to the Nazi leader.
The Trump campaign has fiercely denied these allegations. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, dismissed Kelly’s statements as “debunked stories,” and Trump spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer denied the former president ever made such comments, calling them “absolutely false.”
Kelly’s insights into Trump’s presidency are not entirely new. In 2022, Kelly told NBC News that when Trump complained about U.S. generals, Kelly reminded him that their loyalty was to the Constitution, not to him personally.
This latest controversy has also stirred political tensions, with Democratic leaders invoking Trump’s remarks in their campaign efforts. During a rally in Racine, Wisconsin, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, referenced The Atlantic‘s reporting on Trump’s admiration for Hitler’s generals, saying, “That makes me sick as hell, and it should make you sick.”
Trump’s comments have also faced renewed backlash due to a rally in New Hampshire where he said immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country,” a phrase reminiscent of rhetoric used by Hitler in his manifesto Mein Kampf to denigrate immigration and racial mixing. Trump has denied reading the book.
As the 2024 election approaches, these revelations are likely to fuel ongoing debate about Trump’s leadership style and his position within the Republican Party.