Vice President Kamala Harris did not hestitate to call former President Donald Trump a fascist for the first time Wednesday.
Anderson Cooper asked the Democratic nominee onstage at the CNN Town Hall whether.
“You’ve quoted Gen. Milley calling Donald Trump a fascist, but you yourself have not used that word to describe him. Let me ask you tonight. Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?” Anderson Cooper asked.
Without hesitation, the vice president responded, “Yes I do.”
Watch the video here:
Cooper: Do you think that Donald Trump is a fascist ?
Kamala Harris: Yes I do pic.twitter.com/MrNyoJf4Qc
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 24, 2024
Trump’s Former Chief of Staff John Kelly said his ex-boss “certainly falls into the general definition of fascist” Tuesday.
Kelly even read a definition of fascism aloud that he thought matched the former president’s characteristics: “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. “So certainly, in my experience, those are the kinds of things that he thinks would work better in terms of running America.”
Retired Gen. Mark A. Milley echoed this sentiment, warning that the former president is a “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country” in an interview with the Washington Post for a forthcoming book.
“I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted,” Harris said at the CNN Town Hall.
“With the exception of only Mike Pence, these were not politicians. These are career people, who have served in the highest roles in national security, who have served as generals in our military,” she added.
Harris referenced Kelly’s remarks again when answering a question on the rise of antisemitism in the United States.
“I invite you to listen, go online and listen to John Kelly the former chief of staff for Donald Trump. Who has told us, Donald Trump said, essentially, why aren’t my generals like those of Hitler’s?” she said.
Former President Trump declined CNN’s invitation to participate in a town hall.
