Kamala Harris seizes on John Kelly’s ‘fascist’ comments about Donald Trump in an attempt to make the story resonate in a fractured media landscape

All three major cable news networks carried brief remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris on the latest twist in the presidential campaign: John Kelly, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, said via audio that the Republican candidate “definitely falls into the general list” definition of fascist.”

“Donald Trump is becoming increasingly unhinged and unstable, and in a second term people like John Kelly would no longer be there to serve as a guardrail against his tendencies and actions,” Harris said.

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“So the bottom line is: we know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power.”

Harris’ comments were a late addition to her agenda following Tuesday night’s reports The New York Times And The Atlantic Ocean.

Kelly provided audio comments to the Times that were posted on the Times website and covered on network morning shows and other major media outlets, though not to the level of a true October surprise. What was different was that Kelly, in his own voice, confirmed earlier reports that Trump had called members of the military “suckers” and “losers.”

Kelly also told the Times that Trump “noted more than once, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things too.’” The Atlantic reported that Trump also said he needed “the kind of generals Hitler had.” Trump’s campaign spokesman denied this.

One challenge for Harris’ campaign has been that some of the comments have been reported before, including by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg during the 2020 cycle, and in Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s book The distributor.

Harris’ campaign held a press call earlier today with retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and Republican Steve Anderson and Army Reserve Col. Kevin Carroll, who was previously a senior adviser to Kelly, and they were asked about the “fatigue” that has set in the media and the public, because of some of Trump’s comments. “I think it’s breaking through, and I think it needs to break through, because the president’s statements are starting to explode,” Carroll said.

What is unclear is whether Kelly will appear on camera. He did not endorse Harris, but told the Times that “it is very dangerous to have the wrong person elected to high office.”

Trump’s campaign called Harris’ comments a response to “the latest Fake News smear against President Trump — her closing message to Americans with just 13 days until the election.”

On Fox & Friendsco-host Brian Kilmeade defended Trump. He noted that H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump’s national security adviser, wrote in his book that Kelly and then-Defense Secretary James Mattis “didn’t like the president” and went out of their way “to make sure that many things that he asked them to do and the ones they didn’t like were never done.

McMaster “would say, ‘It’s not your job to rein in the president. Your job is to do what the president wants.”

Trump ‘is clearly frustrated. I could definitely see him going, you know what? It would be great to have German generals who actually do what we ask of them, knowing that they are not fully aware of the third rail of German generals who were Nazis and whatnot. But he was frustrated by the delay in the orders not being implemented.”

This afternoon, Liz Cheney, who endorsed Harris, wrote on To defend Trump, you have to look in the mirror and realize that your shame will live on forever.

Both campaigns have used non-traditional media to reach the remaining undecided voters. Trump will appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Friday; Harris’ campaign has reportedly considered doing the popular show, but no interview has been announced.

The campaigns also organize major events in the final days of the campaign. Trump will appear at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, while Harris reportedly plans to deliver closing arguments on Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Bruce Springsteen will also perform for her campaign in Atlanta on Thursday and in Philadelphia on Monday, with former President Barack Obama also expected to attend.

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