A group of former Trump administration officials has penned an open letter backing his former chief of staff John Kelly, after he warned that the former president meets the definition of “a fascist.”
In the explosive letter, the 13 former aides highlight the “danger” of a potential second Trump term, saying: “This is who Donald Trump is.”
“The revelations General Kelly brought forward are disturbing and shocking. But because we know Trump and have worked for and alongside him, we were sadly not surprised by what General Kelly had to say,” the letter, first published by POLITICO, states.
“We applaud General Kelly for highlighting in stark details the danger of a second Trump term. Like General Kelly, we did not take the decision to come forward lightly. We are all lifelong Republicans who served our country,” the letter reads.
“However, there are moments in history where it becomes necessary to put country over party. This is one of those moments. Everyone should heed General Kelly’s warning.”
The officials include former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor, and former national security adviser to Mike Pence Olivia Troye. Other signatories include former senior counselor to Kelly Kevin Carroll, former assistant secretary of homeland security Elizabeth Neumann, former deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, former press secretary to the vice president Alyssa Farah Griffin; and the former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
Kelly said in a new interview with the New York Times this week that the former president meets the definition of a fascist and, if re-elected, he would govern like a dictator if allowed.
“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,” he said.
Kelly, a former Marine Corps general, also told The Atlantic that Trump once praised Hitler’s generals for their loyalty to the Nazi dictator – and said that Hitler “did some good things.”
In response to Kelly’s claims, Trump lashed out at the former chief of staff calling him “a lowlife” and “total degenerate” on Truth Social.
“Thank you for your support against a total degenerate named John Kelly, who made up a story out of pure Trump Derangement Syndrome Hatred!” he posted about the man he once praised as a “true star” of his administration.
“This guy had two qualities, which don’t work well together. He was tough and dumb. The problem is his toughness morphed into weakness, because he became JELLO with time!”
Trump has brushed off the claims as “lies” while Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign communications director, said in a statement: “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.”
Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has ramped up the warnings about Trump as the campaign enters the final stretch.
The vice president said at a rally on Wednesday that Kelly’s claims are “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.”
