Former Trump chief of staff John Kelly has a habit of being the go-to source for those seeking tantalizing anti-Trump stories, even as other former Trump administration officials who have soured on him cast doubt on them. However, for the men of late night comedy on Wednesday, if an anti-Trump story confirms their pre-existing biases, it must be true.
The latest Kelly story includes allegations Trump praised Adolf Hitler, longs for American generals to be more like Hitler’s, and that Trump himself is a fascist. For CBS’s host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert, Kelly’s claims were not that surprising, “He also falls into the specific definition of a fascist. So this is less of an ‘October surprise’ and more of an ‘Early autumn no [bleep].’”
Colbert was also dismayed that Kelly’s allegations will not impact the election, “Trump is apparently a true Fuhrer stan. Kelly had previously spoken to the Atlantic, and they confirmed that multiple witnesses heard Trump complain that ‘I need the kind of generals that Hitler had.’ That is so disturbing that he doesn't know why that's horrible. It reminds me of that famous saying, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to say, 'I need the kind of generals Hitler had' and still somehow be statistically tied in all battleground states."
Breaking out his Trump voice, Colbert also didn’t differentiate between protests and riots, “It wasn't just his love of Nazis that convinced Kelly that Trump was a dangerous man. He also was worried about Trump's obsession with using the military against Americans citizens who oppose him. According to Kelly, in 2020, Trump held private conversations with national security officials about the George Floyd protests, saying, ‘The Chinese generals would know what to do.’”
On NBC’s Late Night, host Seth Meyers also claimed not to be surprised by the news, “It's amazing to hear an exasperated general go through the dictionary definition of fascism and tick off every box for Trump. ‘Is he a fascist?’ ‘Well, he calls his opponents vermin, scum, and the enemy within. Says he wants to round up his critics, and conduct a mass deportation. He talks like a fascist, he acts like a fascist, he's friends with fascists, he compliments fascists. And the worst thing, he just got a pin that says, 'I'm a fascist.'”
Fellow NBC host Jimmy Fallon reacted to the news on The Tonight Show by also breaking out his Trump impression, “Some political news, well, guys, the big story today is that Trump's former White House chief of staff went on record to detail how Trump often said, quote, ‘Hitler did some good things.’ Trump made it worse today when he said, ‘Oops, mein bad.’"
Fallon also declared, “This is the first election where reporters have to ask, ‘Who'd you root for when you watched Saving Private Ryan?’ Yeah. Right now Kamala Harris is thinking, ‘Seriously, how are we still tied? What is going on?’"
Over at Comedy Central and The Daily Show, host of the week Michael Kosta also claimed it is obvious that Kelly is correct, “Fascism is a nationalist political movement that builds a cult around an all-powerful leader who vows to protect his loyal subjects from racially inferior "others" and the enemy within. Now that you know that, upon hearing John Kelly calling Trump a fascist, you're probably thinking, ‘Yeah, durrr.’”
Kosta then panicked what a second Trump term may bring, “General Mattis, General McMaster, both Trump cabinet officials, have said Trump violated the constitution. And keep in mind, these guys were the adults in the room in the first Trump administration, keeping Trump from going full dictator. And they're not going to be there the second time around. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not ready to put the future of American democracy in the hands of Secretary of Defense My Pillow Guy.”
The comedians avoided the Atlantic’s debunked story about Trump complaining about the cost of a military funeral for Vanessa Guillen, a murdered soldier of Mexican ancestry who Trump allegedly referred to as "a fucking Mexican," but that story got published because it fit the Atlantic’s narrative about Trump. Given the history of doubt around Kelly and the Atlantic’s other anti-Trump claims, the Trump-Hitler's generals claim should likewise be treated with a pound of salt.
Here are transcripts for the October 23-taped shows:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
10/23/2024
11:43 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: He also falls into the specific definition of a fascist. So this is less of an "October surprise" and more of an "Early autumn no [bleep]." That said, that said, this does carry a considerable amount of weight, because it's the first time Kelly has been willing to go on the record and keep in mind, Kelly was the Trump White House's longest-serving chief of staff. He was a key member of Trump's team. We haven't seen someone turn on a leader like this since Hootie got ratted out by the blowfish. And Kelly had some pretty damning things to say about Trump.
JOHN KELLY: He commented more than once, that you know, that "Hitler did some good things too." And, of course, if you know history, again, I think he's lacking in that, but if you know what -- you know what Hitler was all about. You'd be pretty hard to make an argument that he did anything good.
COLBERT: Now, to be fair, I can make an argument that Hitler did one thing that was good. He killed Hitler. Doesn't get enough credit. No one talks about that enough. No one else did, a lot of people tried.
Trump is apparently a true Fuhrer stan. Kelly had previously spoken to the Atlantic, and they confirmed that multiple witnesses heard Trump complain that "I need the kind of generals that Hitler had."
That is so disturbing that he doesn't know why that's horrible. It reminds me of that famous saying, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to say, 'I need the kind of generals Hitler had' and still somehow be statistically tied in all battleground states."
And it wasn't just, it wasn't just his love of Nazis that convinced Kelly that Trump was a dangerous man. He also was worried about Trump's obsession with using the military against Americans citizens who oppose him. According to Kelly, in 2020, Trump held private conversations with national security officials about the George Floyd protests, saying, "The Chinese generals would know what to do.”
“Oh, they would, especially that crafty General Tso, he'd know you have to toss those protestors in some cornstarch, fry them to a golden brown, and then drench them all in a tangy goo and ultimately—Tangy goo. Tangy. Tangy goo."
Ultimately, Kelly told the times that
‘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.
***
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
10/24/2024
12:52 AM ET
SETH MEYERS:
SETH MEYERS: It's amazing to hear an exasperated general go through the dictionary definition of fascism and tick off every box for Trump. "Is he a fascist?" "Well, he calls his opponents vermin, scum, and the enemy within. Says he wants to round up his critics, and conduct a mass deportation. He talks like a fascist, he acts like a fascist, he's friends with fascists, he compliments fascists. And the worst thing, he just got a pin that says, 'I'm a fascist.'"
What makes John Kelly so sure Trump admires fascists? Well, among other things, Trump apparently praised Hitler. Yeah. That one.
JOHN KELLY: He would -- he commented more than once that, you know, that Hitler did some good things, too. And of course if you know history, again, I think he's lacking in that, but if you know history, you know what Hitler was all about, you'd be pretty hard to make an argument that he did anything good.
MEYERS: I like when Kelly says, "If you know anything about history." I don't even think you have to know about history. You can probably get all the info you need from Mel Brooks movies and Bugs Bunny cartoons. I think you can just have to have heard the name "Hitler" once in your life to know you shouldn't compliment him. If you were raised in the woods from the moment you were born until the time you turned 18, and you were shielded from all of human history and pop culture, and you emerged into the world for the first time and heard someone say the name "Hitler," you'd immediately say, "That guy sounds like bad news."
Now, of course it won't surprise you to hear that when Kelly explained why Hitler was, you know, bad, Trump didn't really have a comeback for that.
***
Comedy Central The Daily Show
10/23/2024
11:05 PM ET
MICHAEL KOSTA: Let me just back up here a second. That word "Fascism" gets thrown around a lot. It's one of those words you hear frequently, but you don't actually know what it means, like "Emoluments" or "Demure." So, let me give you a definition. Fascism is a nationalist political movement that builds a cult around an all-powerful leader who vows to protect his loyal subjects from racially inferior "others" and the enemy within. Now that you know that, upon hearing John Kelly calling Trump a fascist, you're probably thinking, "Yeah, durrr." By the way, Kelly isn't even the only general who served with Trump who feels this way.
General Milley, Trump's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, also said Trump is a "Fascist to the core." General Mattis, General McMaster, both Trump cabinet officials, have said Trump violated the constitution. And keep in mind, these guys were the adults in the room in the first Trump administration, keeping Trump from going full dictator. And they're not going to be there the second time around. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not ready to put the future of American democracy in the hands of Secretary of Defense My Pillow Guy.
But it gets even crazier! It gets crazier! Because according to John Kelly, Trump's such a fascist that he even has an all-time favorite dictator. And if you're thinking, "No, no, it can't be..." Uh, yes, it can.
JOHN KELLY: He would -- he commented more than once that, you know, that Hitler did some good things, too.
KOSTA: Yeah, Hitler did some good things. I mean, after all, he killed himself. Do we clap at that? Are we—seriously, Trump, Hitler never did anything good! He even sucked at waving. Like, dude, God gave you elbows, use them! That's how I wave.
But what Kelly explained in an interview with the Atlantic magazine is that what Trump really loved about Hitler was how he surrounded himself with yes men. Or as they say in Germany, "Ja men."
***
NBC The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
10/23/2024
11:37 PM ET
JIMMY FALLON: Some political news, well, guys, the big story today is that Trump's former White House chief of staff went on record to detail how Trump often said, quote, "Hitler did some good things." Trump made it worse today when he said, "Oops, mein bad." And you go, "Ooh, don't --"
This is the first election where reporters have to ask, "Who'd you root for when you watched Saving Private Ryan?" Yeah. Right now Kamala Harris is thinking, "Seriously, how are we still tied? What is going on?"
