Two days aft erstwhile Trump White House main of unit John Kelly said that his ex-boss fits nan meaning of a fascist and occasionally remarked that Adolf Hitler "did immoderate bully things," 13 much members of nan Trump management penned an unfastened missive backing up Kelly's claims.
"Donald Trump's disdain for nan American subject and admiration for dictators for illustration Hitler is rooted successful his desire for absolute, unchecked power," wrote nan group, which includes erstwhile nationalist security, communications and different White House staff. "This is simply a man who threw his ain Vice President – Mike Pence – astatine a convulsive mob successful a hopeless bid to clasp connected to power."
Politico first reported connected nan missive Friday.
Kelly, retired U.S. Marine Corps general, told The New York Times and nan Atlantic successful caller interviews that Trump "could ne'er wrap his arms astir why group would service nan state successful uniform" and "admires group who are dictators."
"Everyone should heed General Kelly's warning," wrote nan erstwhile Trump staffers, who described themselves arsenic "lifelong Republicans who served our country."
Trump and his run person raged against Kelly. In a connection Wednesday, Trump run spokesperson Steven Cheung said, "Kelly has wholly beclowned himself pinch these debunked stories he has fabricated because he grounded to service his President good while moving arsenic Chief of Staff and presently suffers from a debilitating lawsuit of Trump Derangement Syndrome."
"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," Cheung said, referring to nan August 2021 deaths of 13 members of nan United States subject successful a termination bombing successful Kabul, Afghanistan.
Trump is successful what appears to beryllium a photo decorativeness race against Vice President Kamala Harris, little than 2 weeks until Election Day. Harris has portrayed Trump arsenic a threat to democracy, citing comments he's made astir being a dictator connected "day one" and galore promises to prosecute aliases punish those he considers enemies.
The Harris run conducted a attraction group of undecided battleground authorities voters Thursday night. Kelly's comments astir Trump asserting that he met nan meaning of a fascist were viewed by them arsenic trustworthy and nonpartisan, and immoderate said they were now having 2nd thoughts astir supporting Trump.
In nan closing days of nan campaign, Harris has begun to attraction connected nan connection that compelled Joe Biden to tally successful 2020, that a Trump presidency poses a threat to our democracy. An soul Harris run canvass successful nan past mates of weeks recovered that for persuadable aliases undecided voters, Trump's pursuit of unchecked powerfulness was 1 of their apical concerns, and nan connection that astir concerned them was that those who had worked intimately pinch him during his presidency and near said he shouldn't beryllium president again because of nan consequence he poses to nationalist security.
Harris herself commented connected Kelly's claims during an quality connected CNN Wednesday, saying, "Why is he telling nan American group now?"
"This time, we must return very earnestly those folks who knew him champion and who were profession group are not going to beryllium location to clasp him back," Harris said.
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Nidia Cavazos
Nidia Cavazos is simply a 2024 run newsman for CBS News.