Some people say they are confident that Trump will not become a dictator because he didn’t when he was president last time. Is that good enough?
Adolf Hitler actually got elected as the leader of Nazi Germany. It was only later that he abandoned democracy in favor of fascism. Former General John Kelly, not a liberal and a strong Trump supporter in the past has come out and said Donald Trump meets the definition of a fascist. Yet Trump is very close to winning the election for president of the United States. Should we not be extremely concerned about this?
As New York Times reporter said,
“Few top officials spent more time behind closed doors in the White House with President Donald J. Trump than John F. Kelly, the former Marine general who was his longest-serving chief of staff.”
Kelly told the Times that voters should consider fitness and character when selecting a president, even more than a candidate’s stances on the issues. Kelly also told the Times reporter that he had grown disenchanted and distressed by conduct on the part of the president that he considered at times to be inappropriate and showed that Trump had no understanding of the Constitution. That really is not surprising.
According to Kelly, “In many cases, I would agree with some of his policies …but again, it’s a very dangerous thing to have the wrong person elected to high office.”
This is what Kelly told the New York Times,
“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,” he said. Mr. Kelly said that definition accurately described Mr. Trump.”
It is hardly surprising that after working with Trump, Kelly concluded Trump was unfit for the office of the presidency. New York Times reporter Schmidt also expanded on those remarks as follows,
He said that, in his opinion, Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator if allowed, and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law.
He discussed and confirmed previous reports that Mr. Trump had made admiring statements about Hitler, had expressed contempt for disabled veterans and had characterized those who died on the battlefield for the United States as “losers” and “suckers” — comments first reported in 2020 by The Atlantic.
How can any American, let alone good conservatives, vote for such a man?
Kelly also said that “on more than one occasion Mr. Trump spoke positively of Hitler.”
None of this proves Trump will become a dictator if elected again. All of it is concerning. To me at least.