Harris calls Trump a ‘fascist’ as ex-chief of staff warns of dictatorship if elected again

“Donald Trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable, and in a second term, people like John Kelly would not be there to act as guardrails against his tendencies and actions. Those who once attempted to rein him in from pursuing his worst impulses would no longer be present,” Harris stated.

She emphasised that the remarks relayed by Kelly indicated that Trump “does not want a military loyal to the United States Constitution.”

“He wants a military that is loyal to him personally, one that will obey his orders even when he instructs them to break the law or abandon their oath to the Constitution of the United States,” she said.

Harris framed the upcoming presidential election on 5 November as a stark choice for US voters, stating: “We know what Donald Trump wants. He seeks unchecked power. The question in 13 days will be what the American people desire.”

Earlier, during a recent Fox News event, Trump suggested that if he were to win the 2024 election, he would assume dictatorial powers on “Day One” to secure the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.

In light of these remarks,  Kelly, in interview with the New York Times said that Trump meets the definition of a fascist and “prefers the dictator approach to government.” Kelly, a longstanding critic of Trump, expressed serious concerns about Trump’s understanding of the US Constitution and the rule of law, asserting that the former president would seek to govern as an authoritarian if he were to return to the White House.

He recalled a troubling remark from Trump, who allegedly stated that German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler “did some good things.”

Kelly, a retired US Marine Corps general, served as Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to 2019. Since their time in the White House together, relations between Kelly and Trump have soured, with both openly expressing disdain for one another.

While Kelly’s critical comments about Trump are not new, he lacks insight into the current workings of Trump’s campaign and cannot definitively predict how Trump would govern if re-elected.

In response to Kelly’s statements, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed the former chief of staff’s remarks, claiming that Kelly “has totally beclowned himself with these debunked stories.”

Harris and her fellow Democrats have framed Trump as a threat to US democracy, a claim that Trump vehemently denies. In his interviews, Kelly clarified that as a former military officer, he was not endorsing any candidate, emphasising the need for a responsible and informed discussion about the implications of a potential second Trump presidency.

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