Former Secretary of Homeland Security and Donald Trump ‘s Chief of Staff, John Kelly, is back with a scathing criticism of his former boss. He characterized Trump as an authoritarian who lacked empathy and disdained military service . The New York Times also recently released an audio recording in which Kelly claimed that Trump had previously praised Hitler, arguing that the dictator ‘did some good things.’ As per reports, Trump even believed that a fascist style of governance would be a more effective way to lead America and changed the subject anytime he was questioned about such beliefs.
As reported by Mediaite , Kelly said, “He commented more than once that Hitler did some good things, too. And of course, if you know history — again, I think he’s lacking in that. But if you know what Hitler was all about, it would be pretty hard to make an argument that he did anything good.” However, Kelly contended that anyone with some knowledge of history knew that Hitler’s acts were motivated only by his racist and fascist beliefs. Earlier this year, Kelly also revealed that Trump had previously lauded Hitler for revitalizing Germany’s economy after he came to power in 1933.
Then, during a recent interview, the former White House chief of staff revealed that Trump had little understanding of the Constitution and felt constrained by its limitations on his authority. Kelly asserted that Trump prefers a dictatorial style of governance and noted that the Republican presidential candidate seemed taken aback when the uniformed and retired generals he appointed prioritized their loyalty to the Constitution over allegiance to him.
Donald Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly told the New York Times he believes the former president’s ambition is to rule like a dictator. Kelly said Trump repeatedly sought to use the military against Americans and has expressed admiration for Hitler on more than one… pic.twitter.com/mTeuz7E1jO
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 23, 2024
In another shocking disclosure, Kelly reaffirmed his previous claims that Trump referred to wounded and deceased veterans as ‘losers and suckers.’ According to Forbes , he alleged that the former president once expressed a desire to avoid being photographed with amputees who had sacrificed their limbs for the country.
“To me, I could never understand why he was that way − he may be the only American citizen that feels that way about those who gave their lives or served their country,” Kelly said. He further acknowledged the dangers of having the wrong individual in a position of power. Now, Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ campaign has responded to Kelly’s remarks, as reported by USA Today . At a recent rally, retired Army Reserve Colonel Kevin Carroll described Kelly as a ‘dedicated, measured public servant’ and added, “But he’s seen Donald Trump up close in a way that very few other Americans have, and he’s warning us that a second Trump term would be dangerous.”
Q: John Kelly, a four-star general who was your Chief of Staff, said you admire Hitler and disparaged U.S. soldiers… Trump: He’s a bully! He’s weak! He’s not smart! pic.twitter.com/B7S9WM7eq7
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 24, 2024
On the other hand, Trump has consistently attacked Kelly, saying that he was unable to fulfill the requirements of the position. Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesperson, also stated that Kelly is currently experiencing ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ and accused him of making up these allegations since he was unable to provide the President with the necessary support while serving as Chief of Staff.