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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 chief of staff, said in a new interview that Trump prefers a dictatorial approach to government, occasionally remarked that Adolf Hitler “did some good things” and disliked appearing alongside amputee veterans.
Speaking with the New York Times two weeks from Election Day, Kelly shared what he says his former boss said about service members and disabled veterans, as well as how Kelly believes the former president would prefer to govern. Kelly said he would never tell Americans who to vote for, but, as Trump’s chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019, he had a front-row seat to Trump’s reactions, habits of speech and actions.
The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt asked Kelly if he thinks Trump is a fascist.
“Well, looking at 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. “So certainly, in my experience, those are the kinds of things that he thinks would work better in terms of running America … Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators — he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”
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Perhaps most concerning to Kelly, as a longtime military officer, is how Trump “could never wrap his arms around why people would serve the country in uniform,” he said. Schmidt asked if Trump said more than once that service members who die for America on the battlefield were “suckers and losers.”
“Yes,” Kelly responded, saying Trump would often get on a tangent about the late Sen. John McCain’s military service. Trump has repeatedly criticized McCain, saying in 2015 that he likes “people who weren’t captured.”
“He would say it at times, sometimes unexpectedly, but he never could wrap his arms around why people would serve the country in uniform,” Kelly said. “What was in it for them? That was a general theme.”
In response to Kelly’s New York Times interview, the Trump campaign said Kelly’s stories are “debunked” and “fabricated.”
“John Kelly has totally beclowned himself with these debunked stories he has fabricated because he failed to serve his president well while working as chief of staff and currently suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung. “President Trump has always honored the service and sacrifice of all of our military men and women, whereas Kamala Harris has completely disrespected the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including the Abbey Gate 13.”
Kelly said Trump would also say “it doesn’t look good for me” to stand alongside veterans who have lost limbs.
“Well, certainly his, his not wanting to be seen with amputees, amputees that lost their limbs in defense of this country fighting for every American, him included, to protect them, but didn’t want to be seen with them,” Kelly said. “That’s an interesting perspective for a commander in chief to have.”
“He would just say, ‘Look, it doesn’t look good for me,'” Kelly added. “So anyways, I don’t know. Not a psychiatrist. If you’re a psychiatrist, I guess you could take a stab at some of these questions, but I’m not.”
Kelly said the former president would also “occasionally” say Hitler “did some good things, too.”
“He commented more than once that, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things, too,'” Kelly said Trump told him. “And of course, if you know history, again I think he’s lacking in that. If you know what history was all about, it would be pretty hard to make an argument that he did anything good.”
Kelly also recounted his conversations with Trump about Hitler in a story published by The Atlantic on Tuesday.
Kelly told the Times that Trump “certainly prefers the dictator approach to government” and “admires people who are dictators.”
“I think he’d love to be just like he was in business — he could tell people to do things and they would do it,” Kelly said, acknowledging that he didn’t know Trump when he was only a businessman, before his venture into presidential politics. “And not really bother too much about whether what the legalities were and whatnot.”
contributed to this report.
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.