Ex-chief of staff criticizes Trump for Hitler talk

[mystery-ak]

 Ex-chief of staff criticizes Trump for Hitler talk
by Sarah Fortinsky - 03/11/24 12:15 PM ET

Retired Gen. John Kelly, who served as White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, recounted several conversations where former President Trump spoke favorably about Adolf Hitler, saying the Nazi leader had done “some good things” and had inspired loyalty within his military.

Kelly spoke about the conversations in an interview with CNN anchor and chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto, who is publishing them as part of a new book, “The Rise of Great Powers.”

A preview of the book was published Monday.

“He said, ‘Well, but Hitler did some good things,’” Kelly said of one conversation with Trump.

“I said, ‘Well, what?’ And he said, ‘Well, [Hitler] rebuilt the economy.’ But what did he do with that rebuilt economy? He turned it against his own people and against the world. And I said, ‘Sir, you can never say anything good about the guy. Nothing,’” Kelly told Sciutto, going over how he has responded to this then-boss.

“I mean, Mussolini was a great guy in comparison,” Kelly said he had told Trump, referring to the Italian fascist leader and ally of Hitler.

According to Sciutto’s book, Kelly and other former advisers to Trump believe the former president’s favorable words toward Hitler are a reflection of how he sees autocrats past and present.

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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4523915-ex-chief-of-staff-criticizes-trump-for-hitler-talk/

[Smokin Joe]

What? Admitting that the German economy was resurrected using WPA type construction projects that built the Autobahn, for instance, and considerable advancements made in aircraft design, and even one of the foundations of our whole space program and other scientific advances makes one wrong?

No. I have nothing but contempt for Hitler, because he was a drug-crazed madman who was ultimately responsible for the deaths of Millions, civilian and military, lame and healthy, Gentile and Jew. It was his prosecution of the war (after he took the reins of the military) that ultimately led to Germany's demise, and the ensuing mess that was post WWII Europe.

That's a lot of evil in one man, willingly carried out by his deluded minions, but at the start, the Germans were doing better despite the evils going on in the shadows.

[goatprairie]

Actually, Hitler didn't know anything about to run an economy. While he propped up German industries many Nazis were anti-capitalists.
His financial advisors warned him that his spending would eventually bankrupt Germany. The economy was bolstered for a while due to conquest i.e. robbing other countries of their money and resources, but we know how everything turned out.

[jafo2010]

Gen John Kelly sadly was one of the senior officers that survived Barack Obama's purge of the military.  Obama purged 4,500 senior officers, and anyone believing the ones that hit the road were the ones that had a conservative mindset, they most likely are correct.  Obama did not want anyone around but liberal pawns.

Trump was clearly an IDIOT to rely on these Obama generals.  Talk about building spies within the White House.  Plus, Trump kept 1,400 Obama appointees for  at least one year.  Again, ignorance is bliss!!!  Trump's utter stupidity on the PROCESS of Washington cost him the first year for certain and almost two years of lost time being backstabbed every day, compromising his every effort.

Even Trump's reliance on his family because he did not have an infrastructure of people around him he could trust turned out to be a serious problem.

Now to the conversation about Hitler, I am sure it was relatively innocent and NOT as Gen Kelly implied.  Not one single general from Obama's days would be trusted if it were me.  In fact, you want to use generals, pick from those rifted by Obama.  Da!!!

Fact is, Hitler in his first few years brought Germany out of a severe depression economically, which in large part was brought on by the harsh reparations imposed by France and Great Britain.  He restored their military, armed Germany and made them in just a few years into one of the fiercest in the world.  Hitler was heralded in the USA as a brilliant leader in 1936, with I believe Life magazine claiming him Man of the Year.

Even American so called heroes idolized Hitler.  Charles Lindburgh and his wife were planning to move to Germany and live there right before war broke out with Poland on September 1, 1939.  Lindburgh's sympathies with Germany is one reason Roosevelt spurned him requesting he be re-commissioned when the war broke out with Japan.

There were many in the USA that highly respected Hitler, including Henry Ford.  It is believed that Henry Ford provided the Nazi Party with $500,000 in the early days to get it off the ground.  I suspect Trump read one or more books that pointed to the affinity Ford had for Hitler and the Nazis.  Until I read about Ford's support of the Nazis, I used to believe he was a great American.  But the truth about Henry Ford was ugly to put it politely.

Trump I am sure ran his mouth often.  Look what he does in front of thousands at a rally.  It is not hard to imagine he expressed himself openly to folks he believed he could trust.  Hitler was admired for years before he became one of the greatest scourges of mankind.