John Kelly doubles down on claims Donald Trump is a Hitler fan and thinks he 'did some good things'

Donald Trump's longest-serving White House chief-of-staff has doubled down connected claims that nan erstwhile president was a instrumentality of Adolf Hitler and warns he would 'govern for illustration a dictator if allowed'.

John Kelly, who served connected Trump's unit from 2017 to 2019, successful a scathing caller question and reply pinch nan New York Times has accused nan GOP nominee of being nan 'definition of fascist' and claims he does not person an knowing of American history aliases nan Constitution.

Kelly, 74, alleged that Trump erstwhile said 'Hitler did immoderate bully things' and praised nan Nazi dictator for having 'rebuilt nan economy'. Kelly besides told The Atlantic connected Tuesday that Trump said he wanted his unit to beryllium much for illustration 'German generals successful World War II' because they were 'totally loyal' to Hitler.

Additionally, nan retired Marine seasoned doubled down connected erstwhile claims that Trump branded American servicemembers who died aliases were injured arsenic 'suckers and losers', adding that nan ex-president 'may beryllium nan only American national that feels that measurement astir those who gave their lives aliases served their country'.

A Trump run spokesperson deed backmost astatine Kelly's claims successful a connection to The Times, saying the former governmental advisor 'has wholly beclowned himself pinch these debunked stories he has fabricated'.

Kelly alleged that his erstwhile boss 'certainly prefers nan dictator attack to government' and 'never accepted nan truth that he wasn't nan astir powerful man successful nan world'.

Reading a textbook meaning of fascism aloud during an audio question and reply pinch nan Times, he described nan ideology arsenic a 'far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist governmental ideology and activity characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief successful a earthy societal hierarchy'.

Kelly said, successful 'my experience', he has recovered Trump to judge that those ideologies would 'work amended successful position of moving America', adding: 'He surely falls into nan wide meaning of fascist, for sure.' 

He besides alleged that Trump was irritated by limitations connected his powerfulness and desired nan 'ability to do thing he wanted, anytime he wanted', which Kelly claimed was Trump's acquisition successful nan business world.

In a abstracted question and reply pinch The Atlantic, Kelly claimed that Trump became much willing successful nan 'advantages of dictatorship' and having 'absolute power complete nan military' arsenic his Oval Office word neared its close.

'I request nan benignant of generals that Hitler had,' Trump allegedly said during a backstage speech successful nan White House.  'People who were wholly loyal to him, that travel orders.'

Trump spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer, successful an email to nan magazine, denied nan alleged conversation, stating: 'This is perfectly false. President Trump ne'er said this.'

Kelly, who has besides been probed astir nan alleged remarks, claims he and Trump said successful item astir nan 'German generals' successful WWII.

'Do you mean nan kaiser's generals? Surely you can't mean Hitler's generals?' Kelly claims he asked Trump, to which he alleges nan then-President responded: 'Yeah, yeah, Hitler's generals.'

The erstwhile staffer said he 'explained' to Trump that Hitler's generals had 'tried to kill' nan Austrian-born leader 'three times and almost pulled it off.'

He claims Trump replied: 'No, no, no, they were wholly loyal to him.' 

The retired governmental advisor besides claims that he had to instruct Trump that he 'can ne'er opportunity thing good' astir Hitler, moreover if nan then-President did judge nan dictator 'did immoderate bully things'.

Similarly, Kelly alleges that Trump successful 2018 asked him who nan 'good guys' were during WWI, to which he advised that American presidents should 'remember that nan 'good guys' successful immoderate fixed conflict are nan countries allied pinch nan United States'.

Kelly was besides questioned astir reports that Trump had expressed contempt for abnormal veterans and soldiers who died successful combat.

'President Trump utilized nan terms 'losers' and 'suckers' to picture soldiers who gave their lives successful nan defense of our country. There are many, galore group who person heard him opportunity these things,' he told The Atlantic.

He alleged that Trump did not want to beryllium seen successful a parade pinch subject amputees because 'it doesn't look bully for me', refused to sojourn nan graves of fallen soldiers successful France and 'demonstrated unfastened contempt for a Gold Star family' during his 2016 campaign.

Trump, according to Kelly, did not understand nan sacrifice of slain soldiers and reportedly erstwhile asked: 'Why do you group deliberation that group getting killed are heroes?'

Kelly says he 'could ne'er understand why he was that way' and based on that 'selflessness is thing he conscionable didn't understand'.

Trump run spokesperson Steven Cheung, successful a connection to Axios, denied nan Republican nominee ever made nan remarks, saying: 'President Trump has ever honored nan work and sacrifice of each of our subject men and women.'

Tuesday's comments marked nan erstwhile apical aides' astir extended nationalist comments astir nan erstwhile Republican president and nan GOP's 2024 nominee.

Kelly declined to endorse immoderate campaigner for nan White House, but said 'it's a very vulnerable point to person nan incorrect personification elected to precocious office.'