October 23, 2024
John Kelly was the Trump White House’s longest-serving chief of staff.
On October 22, 2024, The New York Times published an article entitled As Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator. The article was based on three interviews that Michael S. Schmidt conducted with John Kelly. The article and accompanying audio recordings are available online.
Kelly referred to the definition of fascism:
It’s a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy.
Kelly said that Donald Trump, “. . . falls into the general definition of fascist.”
Additional quotations from John Kelly in The New York Times article: “[Trump] certainly prefers the dictator approach to government. [Trump] never accepted the fact that he wasn’t the most powerful man in the world—and by power, I mean the ability to do anything he wanted, anytime he wanted.”
Kelly acknowledged that Trump showed little respect for the Constitution of the United States and the rule of law. Kelly worried that, if elected president again, Trump would use the military against the American people.
With this provocative article, John Kelly joined a long list of Republicans, including other former White House officials and retired generals, in warning about the dangers of a second Trump presidency.
Kamala Harris issued a statement citing The New York Times article: “This is a window into who Donald Trump really is from the people who know him best, from the people who worked with him side-by-side in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room. And it is clear from John Kelly’s words that Donald Trump is someone who (I quote) ‘certainly falls into the general definition of fascist’. . . . So the bottom line is this: We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power. The question in thirteen days will be what do the American people want.”
A closing message may be emerging for the Democratic ticket: This election isn’t just about women’s rights. It’s about everyone’s rights.
As we approach November 5, The Virtual Tout® will do what have been doing throughout this election season: Following the data and leading with science.
Return to the log of News postings.
The most recent news is on the home page.