Vice President Kamala Harris has escalated her criticism of Donald Trump, asserting that she believes he is a “fascist.” This strong condemnation follows recent remarks by Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, who revealed that the former president had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler during his time in office.
Harris seized upon Kelly’s statements, made public in interviews with The New York Times and The Atlantic, where the retired Marine Corps general warned of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and recounted instances of Trump praising Hitler. Speaking at a CNN town hall on Wednesday night, Harris emphasized that Kelly’s accounts provide a crucial insight into Trump’s true character and the kind of leader he would be if re-elected.
When directly asked if she believes Trump is a fascist, Harris responded unequivocally, “Yes, I do,” not once, but twice. She later reiterated her stance, stating that a second Trump presidency would mean having “a president who admires dictators and is a fascist.”
Harris framed Kelly’s revelations as a dire warning to the American public, a “911 call” from someone who served closely with Trump. Her campaign is actively using these accusations to sharpen the contrast between Trump and the current administration as voters approach the election.
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Harris argued that Trump’s alleged admiration for Hitler extends beyond mere historical interest, suggesting a deeper, more concerning motive. “I believe Donald Trump is a danger to the well-being and security of the United States of America,” she stated, emphasizing the need for a president who upholds “certain standards,” explicitly “certainly not comparing oneself, in a clearly admiring way, to Hitler.”
She further cautioned that a re-elected Trump would be unrestrained, lacking the influence of advisors who previously curbed his most extreme impulses. Earlier on Wednesday, Harris had already voiced increasing concerns about Trump’s mental acuity and his intentions should he regain the presidency.
“This 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,” Harris told reporters, reinforcing the credibility of Kelly’s and other former officials’ warnings.
Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to 2019, is not alone in his critical assessment. His recent statements build upon previous warnings from other former high-ranking Trump administration officials as the election nears. Kelly had previously accused Trump of disparaging veterans killed in combat, calling them “suckers” and “losers.” His latest warnings come as Trump campaigns for a second term, promising to significantly expand the domestic use of the military and suggesting he would target those he deems “enemies from within.”
According to Kelly’s interviews, Trump reportedly said on multiple occasions, “You know, Hitler did some good things, too.” Kelly recounted that he typically countered by stating that “nothing (Hitler) did, you could argue, was good,” but Trump would periodically revisit the topic.
In his Atlantic interview, Kelly further detailed an exchange where Trump, considering the need for “German generals,” was met with Kelly’s question of whether he meant Bismarck’s generals. When Kelly asked, “Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals?” Trump allegedly responded, “Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.”
Trump swiftly responded to Kelly’s accusations on his Truth Social platform, dismissing them as a “made up story” and launching personal attacks against his former chief of staff, alleging that Kelly’s “toughness morphed into weakness.” Trump’s campaign also issued denials, with spokesman Steven Cheung labeling Kelly’s accounts as “debunked stories he has fabricated” and accusing Harris of spreading “outright lies and falsehoods.”
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Despite the gravity of Kelly’s accusations, some Republicans appear unmoved. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a Republican who has previously criticized Trump, stated that Kelly’s comments would not alter his plan to vote for the former president. “Look, we’ve heard a lot of extreme things about Donald Trump, from Donald Trump. It’s really par for the course,” Sununu told CNN, suggesting a sense of resignation among some voters.
Similarly, some of Trump’s supporters in swing states seemed to dismiss Kelly’s remarks. Jim Lytner, a veteran advocate in Nevada, stated, “Trump did his four years, and we were in great shape. Kelly didn’t have anything good to say about Trump. He ought to have his butt kicked,” indicating a focus on Trump’s perceived positive outcomes during his term, rather than the character concerns raised by Kelly.
Harris elaborated on her interpretation of Trump’s alleged admiration for Hitler’s generals, stating that it reveals his desire for a military personally loyal to him, rather than to the Constitution. “He does 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,” Harris asserted.
Polls indicate a tight race in key swing states, prompting both Trump and Harris to intensify their campaigns to sway undecided voters. Harris’s campaign is specifically targeting independent voters, leveraging endorsements from figures like former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and highlighting criticisms from within the Republican ranks, such as Kelly’s, to dissuade past Trump voters.
Harris’s campaign recently convened a call with reporters to amplify the voices of retired military officials who are now publicly opposing Trump’s candidacy. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson emphasized the significance of the opposition from those who know Trump best: “People that know him best are most opposed to him, his presidency.”
Anderson expressed hope that Kelly would explicitly endorse Harris, though Kelly has not yet done so. However, retired Army Reserve Col. Kevin Carroll, a former senior counselor to Kelly, suggested Kelly’s deep aversion to Trump, stating that he would “rather chew broken glass than vote for Donald Trump.”
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It’s noteworthy that prior to serving as Trump’s chief of staff, Kelly was Secretary of Homeland Security, where he oversaw controversial policies, including the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. This history has made him a target of criticism from the left, including Harris herself. After Kelly joined the board of a company operating migrant children detention centers, Harris, then a presidential candidate, condemned him as “the architect” of the “cruel child separation policy” profiting from family separations, deeming it “unethical.”
In his interview with The Times, Kelly explicitly stated that Trump meets the definition of a fascist. After reading a definition of fascism, including its characteristics of “a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader,” Kelly concluded that Trump “certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.” He added that Trump resented any limitations on his power and desires dictatorial control.
Kelly is among several former top Trump officials who have raised alarms about the former president’s character and fitness for office. Retired Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reportedly described Trump as “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country.” Former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis also reportedly concurred with Milley’s assessment.
Despite these criticisms from former high-ranking officials, Trump has historically enjoyed significant support from military veterans. AP VoteCast data from 2020 indicated that approximately 6 in 10 veterans voted for Trump, and he continued to garner strong support from veterans in the 2024 Republican primaries.
The accusations of fascism and comparisons to Hitler represent a significant escalation in the rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump’s candidacy, particularly as voiced by Vice President Kamala Harris and corroborated by figures like John Kelly. These claims are likely to further polarize voters and intensify the debate over Trump’s suitability for the presidency.
