# Donald Trump — "Hitler did some good things" > [!quote] "Hitler did some good things, too." > — Donald Trump, as recounted by John Kelly (reported October 2024) > [!warning] Disputed > Reported by [[John Kelly]] in October 2024; not independently recorded. Trump and his campaign denied the remark and attacked Kelly. Notable for its source — Trump's own longest-serving chief of staff — but attribution rests on Kelly's account. See Verification below. ## Context According to [[John Kelly]] — the retired Marine general who was Trump's White House Chief of Staff (2017–2019) — Trump made the remark in private during his first term. Asked by The Atlantic whom Trump was referring to when he said he wanted "the kind of generals Hitler had," Kelly answered: "Yeah, yeah. Hitler's generals." Kelly disclosed the account to the New York Times and The Atlantic in late October 2024, alongside his statement that Trump meets the definition of a fascist. ## Why this matters The remark is among the most consequential receipts of the 2024 cycle because of its source: not an opponent but Trump's own longest-serving chief of staff, a four-star general. It crystallized the "is Trump a fascist?" debate into a concrete, named, on-the-record allegation from inside the room. ## Verification - **Reporting:** [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/john-kelly-says-donald-trump-meets-definition-fascist-rcna176706); [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-said-hitler-did-some-good-things-and-wanted-generals-like-the-nazis-former-chief-of-staff-kelly-claims). - **Status:** Reported remark attributed by [[John Kelly]]; **disputed** — Trump and his campaign denied it and attacked Kelly. Not independently recorded. ## See Also - [[Donald Trump]] - [[John Kelly]]