Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
Donald Trump’s former chief of staff has sounded the alarm about his old boss, calling him a “fascist” who would govern like a dictator.
Retired General John Kelly spoke to The New York Times for an article published Tuesday (22/10) about his fears that Trump would disregard the Constitution and the rule of law if elected president, confirming that Trump has praised Adolf Hitler on different occasions and put down disabled veterans.
During the interview, when asked if Trump was a fascist, Kelly read a definition of fascism from the internet, and said that Trump definitely prefers that philosophy.
“Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, 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,” Kelly said. “He certainly prefers the dictator approach to government.”
Kelly said that after he left the White House in 2019, he decided that he would only speak out publicly if Trump spoke inaccurately about him, or said something egregious.
The former chief of staff said that Trump’s comments about using the military against “the enemy within” fit those criteria.
“And I think this issue of using the military on—to go after—American citizens is one of those things I think is a very, very bad thing—even to say it for political purposes to get elected—I think it’s a very, very bad thing, let alone actually doing it,” said Kelly.
Related: Farage says him flying out to the US to support Trump ‘is different’
