John Kelly says Trump is "certainly an authoritarian," fits the definition of a fascist

Washington — Former Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, Donald Trump's longest-serving White House main of staff, said successful a caller question and reply that Trump prefers a dictatorial attack to government, occasionally remarked that Adolf Hitler "did immoderate bully things" and disliked appearing alongside amputee veterans.

Speaking pinch nan New York Times 2 weeks from Election Day, Kelly shared what he says his erstwhile leader said astir work members and abnormal veterans, arsenic good arsenic really Kelly believes nan erstwhile president would for illustration to govern. Kelly said he would ne'er show Americans who to ballot for, but, arsenic Trump's main of unit from July 2017 to January 2019, he had a front-row spot to Trump's reactions, habits of reside and actions.

The New York Times' Michael Schmidt asked Kelly if he thinks Trump is simply a fascist. 

"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 said. "So certainly, successful my experience, those are nan kinds of things that he thinks would activity amended successful position of moving America … 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."

White House main of unit John Kelly listens arsenic President Donald Trump speaks astatine a briefing pinch elder subject leaders successful nan Cabinet Room of nan White House connected Oct. 5, 2017, successful Washington, D.C. Pool / Getty Images

Perhaps astir concerning to Kelly, arsenic a longtime subject officer, is really Trump "could ne'er wrap his arms astir why group would service nan state successful uniform," he said. Schmidt asked if Trump said much than erstwhile that work members who dice for America connected nan battlefield were "suckers and losers."

"Yes," Kelly responded, saying Trump would often get connected a tangent astir nan precocious Sen. John McCain's subject service. Trump has many times criticized McCain, saying successful 2015 that he likes "people who weren't captured." 

"He would opportunity it astatine times, sometimes unexpectedly, but he ne'er could wrap his arms astir why group would service nan state successful uniform," Kelly said. "What was successful it for them? That was a wide theme." 

In consequence to Kelly's New York Times interview, nan Trump run said Kelly's stories are "debunked" and "fabricated." 

"John Kelly has wholly beclowned himself pinch these debunked stories he has fabricated because he grounded to service his president good while moving arsenic main of unit and presently suffers from a debilitating lawsuit of Trump Derangement Syndrome," said Trump run communications head Steven Cheung. "President Trump has ever honored nan work and sacrifice of each of our subject men and women, whereas Kamala Harris has wholly disrespected nan families of those who gave nan eventual sacrifice, including nan Abbey Gate 13."

Kelly said Trump would besides opportunity "it doesn't look bully for me" to guidelines alongside veterans who person mislaid limbs. 

"Well, surely his, his not wanting to beryllium seen pinch amputees, amputees that mislaid their limbs successful defense of this state fighting for each American, him included, to protect them, but didn't want to beryllium seen pinch them," Kelly said. "That's an absorbing position for a commandant successful main to have."

"He would conscionable say, 'Look, it doesn't look bully for me,'" Kelly added. "So anyways, I don't know. Not a psychiatrist. If you're a psychiatrist, I conjecture you could return a stab astatine immoderate of these questions, but I'm not." 

Kelly said nan erstwhile president would besides "occasionally" opportunity Hitler "did immoderate bully things, too."

"He commented much than erstwhile that, 'You know, Hitler did immoderate bully things, too,'" Kelly said Trump told him. "And of course, if you cognize history, again I deliberation he's lacking successful that. If you cognize what history was each about, it would beryllium beautiful difficult to make an statement that he did thing good."

Kelly besides recounted his conversations pinch Trump astir Hitler successful a communicative published by The Atlantic connected Tuesday.

Kelly told nan Times that Trump "certainly prefers nan dictator attack to government" and "admires group who are dictators." 

"I deliberation he'd emotion to beryllium conscionable for illustration he was successful business — he could show group to do things and they would do it," Kelly said, acknowledging that he didn't cognize Trump erstwhile he was only a businessman, earlier his task into statesmanlike politics. "And not really fuss excessively overmuch astir whether what nan legalities were and whatnot."

Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.