Gen. John Kelly says Trump praised ‘Hitler’s generals’ for loyalty

Retired Gen. John Kelly, who served as White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, said former President Trump praised Adolf Hitler’s generals for their loyalty in a new interview in The Atlantic on Tuesday.

In the interview with editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, Kelly affirmed reporting from Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House,” which quoted Trump asking Kelly, his chief of staff at the time, “Why can’t you be like the German generals?”

According to Goldberg’s account of Baker and Glasser’s reporting, Kelly responded by explaining to Trump that the German generals “tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off,” but Trump reportedly was not swayed by the correction.

“No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him,” Trump said, according to Goldberg’s telling of Baker and Glasser’s reporting.

Goldberg, in the piece published Tuesday, said he asked Kelly about that exchange in a new interview this week. Goldberg wrote that Kelly “told me that when Trump raised the subject of ‘German generals,’ Kelly responded by asking, “’Do you mean [Otto von] Bismarck’s generals?’”

Kelly continued, in the interview with Goldberg this week: “I mean, I knew he didn’t know who Bismarck was, or about the Franco-Prussian War. I said, ‘Do you mean the Kaiser’s generals? Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals? And he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.’ I explained to him that [Erwin] Rommel had to commit suicide after taking part in a plot against Hitler.'”

According to Goldberg, Kelly said Trump was not acquainted with Rommel.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4948174-john-kelly-donald-trump-praised-hitler-generals-loyalty/

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ElwoodBlues · M

Retired four-star Marine general John Kelly is not alone in being a close advisor to Trump who is now warning against the dangers of a Trump presidency.

Richard Spencer, Secretary of the Navy
“The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.” — Nov. 27, 2019

H.R. McMaster,White House national security adviser
“President Trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain.” — Jan. 7, 2021

James Mattis, Secretary of Defense
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society.” — June 3, 2020

Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense
“I have a lot of concerns about Donald Trump. I have said that he’s a threat to democracy. I think the last year, certainly the last few months of Donald Trump’s presidency, will look like the first few months of the next one if that were to occur.” — Oct. 1, 2023

Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State
“Moron” — July 20, 2017

William Barr, Attorney general
“The fact of the matter is he is a consummate narcissist and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk. … He will always put his own interest and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest. There’s no question about it. … He’s like a 9-year-old, a defiant 9-year-old kid, who’s always pushing the glass toward the edge of the table defying his parents to stop him from doing it.” — June 18, 2023

John Bolton, White House national security adviser
“By the time I left the White House, I was convinced he was not fit to be president. … I think it is a danger for the United States if he gets a second term.” — June 22, 2023

Midlifemale · 61-69, M

How about nitpicking everything that Kamala Harris says ?
Oh wait....there isn't anything to nitpick because she says nothing but word salads....no substance or details and we don't even know where she stands on policies....she flip-flops, lies and throws another word salad out there because she has no idea what she is talking about.
She'll be a terrible president...worse than Biden.
We all need to vote for TRUMP 😁and get our America back again

Carla · 61-69, F

@Midlifemale we do know her policies.
On housing, inflation, the border, Isreal, ukraine, oil production, women's rights, taxation, workers rights.
In reality, harris has a platform that she can discuss intelligently. If her words are too big, or if proper english isn't something you can comprehend...you maybe can't read more than a paragraph before you are lost, then maybe her words enter your brain and are julienned so you don't have to understand. You can blame her.
On the other hand, trump rants and fumbles, calls it the weave, and says nothing of substance. Only that he is going to destroy us with tariffs and deport all the brown people, legal or not.
Good luck affording an orange. Or putting drywall up in your basement.
Why can't you people digest that our economy is the best in the world. The quickest and most thorough recovery?
And yeah, border crossings are way down.
You do know that trump taughts numbers of crossings lessened by covid, right? One policy put forth specifically because of covid.
But, you know...facts can't trump a believers feelings.

luckranger71 · 51-55, M

@Midlifemale Wait, “nitpicking”. Trump literally wants Nazi generals and you’re throwing out your own word salad about Kamala?

You must be fine with Nazis.

Midlifemale · 61-69, M

@Carla she can discuss intelligently !!! Are you kidding ???? Lol...it will be just another word salad....haha...
And fix the border ?? She and Biden caused the problem at the border !!
Best economy ? When was the last time you went grocery shopping !!
She has you brainwashed like all her other followers

Bumbles · 51-55, M

Even Paulus defied Hitler...eventually.

JSul3 · 70-79

Several of them tried to kill Hitler.

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@JSul3

There were more German generals with a spine who were EXECUTED by Hitler for opposing him than there were Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump.

eli1601 · 70-79, M

In a show of support rarely seen among military circles, more than 300 retired U.S. generals and admirals have endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, stating their belief that Trump’s leadership is necessary to address national security

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@eli1601

More than 700 high-ranking national security officials have endorsed Democratic candidate Vice President Harris in her run for the White House, with some leaders expressing concerns about former President Trump’s “scary authoritarian streak.”

“Vice President Harris has all the leadership qualities needed to be a strong commander in chief. She’s prepared. She’s strategic. She’s understands all sides of an issue,” retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Michael Smith told The Hill. “We saw as much during the debate.”

“As we’ve seen for nearly a decade, however, former President Trump has none of those qualities, and he has a scary authoritarian streak,” Smith, who is also the president of National Security Leaders for America, added.

The letter endorsing Harris consists of 741 former high-ranking national security officials, including 233 general and flag officers. Among those 741 officials are 15 four-star generals, 10 former Cabinet secretaries and 10 service secretaries as well as leaders who served in Republican administrations.

https://thehill.com/homenews/4892381-national-security-officials-endorse-harris/

HobNoblin · 36-40, M

Too bad Hitler didn't die on the first world war. By his account he got up to find a better place to eat his can of food and a shell hit where he had been sitting. A little can of meat or peas or peaches kept him alive. Trump might be like that to, pre ordained. They've tried twice now and failed.

Noreaster · F

If he only had a brain!

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