John Kelly recently called Trump a fascist. He's not the only former staffer to turn against the president.

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John Kelly warned this week that Trump fits nan meaning of a fascist

John Kelly, a erstwhile Marine wide who served arsenic Trump's main of unit from 2017 to 2019, issued a stark informing against nan erstwhile president in a bid of interviews with The New York Times, published Tuesday.

Kelly told nan outlet that Trump fits nan meaning of a fascist and said that he would norm for illustration a dictator if elected to a 2nd term.

"Well, looking astatine nan meaning of fascism: It's 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 told nan Times.

"Certainly nan erstwhile president is successful nan far-right area, he's surely an authoritarian, admires group who are dictators — he has said that. So he surely falls into nan wide meaning of fascist, for sure," Kelly besides said to nan outlet.

In his interviews pinch nan Times, Kelly confirmed a previous report that Trump had, much than once, told Kelly he believes "Hitler did immoderate bully things."

Elizabeth Neumann echoed Kelly's concerns

Elizabeth Neumann, a erstwhile Trump-appointed elder charismatic astatine nan Department of Homeland Security, told Politico successful a communicative published Wednesday that she agrees pinch Kelly's information that Trump is not fresh for office.

She added that nan erstwhile president has "authoritarian tendencies" and "does not run by nan norm of law."

Neumann — who successful April 2020 resigned from her domiciled arsenic an adjunct caput astatine nan DHS —had besides antecedently railed against Trump.

The erstwhile DHS charismatic told NPR successful precocious 2020 that Trump was "throwing substance connected nan fire" of home terrorism, and earlier said that Republicans' portrayal of serene protests arsenic "lawless" was a distraction from nan existent threat of right-wing extremism. 

John Bolton reiterated his past critiques of Trump this week

John Bolton served arsenic Trump's nationalist information advisor, pushing a hawkish strategy connected threats from adversaries including Venezuela and Iran.

He turned against Trump soon aft leaving nan agency successful 2019, and in his 2020 memoir he described chaos and dysfunction successful nan Trump administration.

In 2022, Bolton told NBC News the 1 point that would get him to participate nan 2024 statesmanlike title would "be to make it clear to nan group of this state that Donald Trump is unacceptable arsenic nan Republican nominee."

And successful an question and reply this week connected CNN's "The Source pinch Kaitlan Collins" Bolton reiterated his past comments that Trump is not smart capable to beryllium a dictator.

"To beryllium a fascist, you person to person a philosophy. Trump's not tin of that," Bolton told Collins, echoing his connection earlier this twelvemonth that Trump "hasn't sewage nan brains" to beryllium a dictator. 

But, Bolton told CNN that he believes nan Republican statesmanlike nominee still poses "dangers" to nan country. 

Earlier this year, Bolton besides cautioned that Trump's mounting debts could make him a premier target for overseas autocrats to exploit. 

Trump-appointed Mark Milley has called Trump "fascist to nan core"

In 2018, Trump appointed four-star wide Mark Milley, nan erstwhile main of unit of nan Army, arsenic nan Chairman of nan Joint Chiefs of Staff successful his management — a domiciled Milley served from 2019 to 2023. 

When Milley retired from nan position successful 2023, aft serving 2 years nether Trump and 2 nether Joe Biden, he delivered remarks that appeared to beryllium a thinly-veiled jab astatine Trump. 

"We don't return an oath to a king aliases a queen aliases to a tyrant aliases a dictator. And we don't return an oath to a wannabe dictator," Milley said successful his status speech, according to nan Associated Press. 

And successful a caller book from Washington Post subordinate editor Bob Woodward, Milley called Trump "fascist to nan core" and "the astir vulnerable personification to this country," The Washington Post reported earlier this month. 

Former defense caput Mark Esper has criticized Trump's characteristic and expertise to lead

Mark Esper served arsenic defense secretary successful nan Trump management from 2019 to 2020, and antecedently arsenic nan US caput of nan Army from 2017 to 2019. 

In his 2022 book, "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times," Esper wrote that Trump was an "idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and unprincipled commandant successful chief." He besides characterized nan erstwhile president arsenic an erratic, petulant leader who posed a threat to Americans and nan state astatine large. 

More recently, Esper has cautioned astir Trump's comments that he would invoke nan subject against his enemies. Esper told CNN's Kaitlan Collins this week that voters should return Trump's threats to usage nan subject against American citizens "seriously."

"I deliberation President Trump has learned, nan cardinal is getting group astir you who will do your bidding, who will not push back, who will instrumentality what you want to do. And I deliberation he's talked astir that, his acolytes person talked astir that, and I deliberation loyalty will beryllium nan first litmus test," he said connected CNN.

Bill Barr, nan lawyer wide who collapsed pinch Trump complete his effort to overturn nan 2020 election

Barr was regarded arsenic 1 of Trump's closest friends and canniest officials during his stint arsenic lawyer wide successful 2019 and 2020.

He played a cardinal domiciled successful fending disconnected ineligible scandals that embroiled Trump, notably nan 2019 merchandise of nan typical counsel Robert Mueller's study connected Russian interference successful nan 2016 election.

In 2022, Barr changed people and published a memoir successful which he was highly captious of his erstwhile leader and said he'd opposed Trump's bid to cling to power aft his conclusion successful 2020.

He besides criticized Trump's determination to return authorities records pinch him to Mar-a-Lago aft leaving office, and successful a scathing New York Post op-ed article he called connected nan Republican Party to move connected from Trump aft nan midterms.

"Among nan existent harvest of imaginable nominees, Trump is nan personification slightest capable to merge nan statement and nan 1 astir apt to suffer nan wide election," Barr wrote.

But Barr has since reversed people again, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins successful April this twelvemonth that he would beryllium voting for Trump successful nan 2024 election.  

Mike Pence, nan ultraloyal vice president who grew steadily much vocal successful his guidance to Trump

Mike Pence, Trump's erstwhile vice president, played an important domiciled successful attracting nan blimpish evangelical voters who were a cardinal portion of Trump's support base.

But his refusal to thief Trump's bid to overturn his predetermination conclusion successful 2020 provoked Trump's fury.

Pence became a hated fig for hardline Trump supporters, immoderate of whom chanted for his execution during nan onslaught connected nan Capitol connected January 6, 2021, erstwhile Pence was forced to fly alongside different members of Congress.

Pence mostly declined to knock Trump successful nan aftermath of nan riot. 

In a 2022 question and reply pinch ABC News, Pence described Trump's words and actions connected January 6, 2021, arsenic "reckless."

"The president's words that time astatine nan rally endangered maine and my family and everyone astatine nan Capitol," Pence told nan outlet astatine nan time. 

Earlier this year, Pence said he would not beryllium endorsing Trump for nan presidency. And past month, he wrote an op-ed successful The Wall Street Journal reiterating his committedness to enactment retired of nan statesmanlike campaign, but urging voters to elite Republicans down-ballot. 

Chris Christie, a erstwhile confidant, now says Trump is dragging nan GOP down

Christie, nan erstwhile politician of New Jersey, was 1 of nan first salient Republicans to endorse Trump erstwhile he launched his insurgent bid for nan presidency successful 2015.

But Christie was fired arsenic nan caput of Trump's modulation squad aft his 2016 victory, reportedly astatine nan urging of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose begetter Christie had prosecuted.

Christie has go a predominant professional of Trump connected cable-news shows, and he described Trump arsenic a serial loser successful nan aftermath of nan 2022 midterms.

More recently, Christie said successful an question and reply pinch The New York Times earlier this period that he sees "significant" cognitive declines successful Trump since 2016 and 2020. And he called retired "not only Trump's willingness but seeming inability to debar lying astir everything" arsenic "toxic to nan governmental environment." 

Stephanie Grisham, who resigned aft nan Capitol riot, says Trump lacks empathy and morals

Stephanie Grisham served arsenic White House property caput nether Trump and arsenic a apical adjutant to Melania Trump.

She near nan White House aft nan Capitol riot and revealed damaging behind-the-scenes accusation astir Trump successful her memoir successful October 2021. She's now a predominant professional of Trump connected cablegram TV.

She has said she feels remorse astatine having worked for Trump, whom she's described arsenic a "con man," and aft nan 2022 midterm elections, she told CNN that nan GOP needs to region itself from Trump.

Grisham said astatine nan Democratic National Convention successful August this year, aft announcing that she would beryllium voting for Kamala Harris. 

In her reside astatine nan event, Grisham said that Trump lacks empathy, morals, and "fidelity to nan truth."

Former Trump adjutant Fiona Hill has criticized Trump's denial of nan 2020 predetermination results

Fiona Hill served as Trump's lawman adjunct and nan apical Russia advisor connected nan National Security Council successful his management from 2017 to 2019. 

In a 2022 interview pinch Business Insider, Hill based on that Trump's predetermination lies person created a "recipe for communal violence" that could foster "civil conflict" successful nan US. 

And earlier this year, Hill criticized Trump for comparing himself to Alexei Navalny, nan precocious Russian guidance leader and governmental dissident. 

"What he's doing successful nan astir brazen and frankly shameful manner is trying to propose that nan United States is for illustration Putin's Russia," Hill told Margaret Brennan connected CBS's "Face nan Nation" astatine nan time.