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WASHINGTON — John Kelly, former White House chief of staff to Donald Trump, said his former boss meets the definition of a "fascist" and said he believes Trump puts himself over the Constitution.
In an interview with The New York Times, Kelly — a retired four-star general in the U.S. Marine Corps — said he would not be endorsing any candidate in the upcoming presidential election. But he said it is dangerous to elect the wrong people to the White House.
"In many cases, I would agree with some of his policies," Kelly said of Trump. "But again, it's a very dangerous thing to have the wrong person elected to high office."
In a statement, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, said Kelly "has totally beclowned himself with these debunked stories."
Kelly served as Trump's White House chief of staff from 2017 to 2019, making him the longest-serving person in that position during the Trump administration.
When asked if he believes Trump is a fascist, Kelly said he believes he "certainly" fits the definition.
"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, reading a definition.
Kelly added: "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."
When asked if he thinks Trump would act as a dictator during his second term, Kelly said Trump "certainly prefers the dictator approach to government."
Trump, he added, "never accepted the fact that he wasn't the most powerful man in the world — and by power, I mean an ability to do anything he wanted, anytime he wanted."
Kelly said he decided to break his silence after Trump suggested he would use the military against the "enemy within" the United States.
"And I think this issue of using the military on — to go after — American citizens is one of those things I think is a very, very bad thing — even to say it for political purposes to get elected — I think it's a very, very bad thing, let alone actually doing it," Kelly said.
Kelly said Trump has "all but rejected what America is all about," and suggested he does not understand the Constitution. "He just doesn't understand the values — he pretends, he talks, he knows more about America than anybody, but he doesn't," Kelly said.
