On Sunday, Fox News host Shannon Bream put Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, in the hot seat regarding remarks made by former Trump officials about the former president. Bream specifically asked Rubio if he believed that John Kelly, Trump’s ex-chief of staff, and Mark Milley, his former principal military adviser, were “lying” when they labeled Trump a “fascist.”
Rubio, a dedicated Trump supporter, cut straight to the point, stating, “Yes. I do.” He went on to express skepticism over the timing of their comments, particularly as they surfaced just before an election.
Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Kelly claimed that Trump’s actions aligned with the definition of fascism, recalling a shocking comment where Trump allegedly stated that “[Adolf] Hitler did some good things.” In response, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed Kelly’s account as “debunked stories,” accusing him of making a fool of himself.
Meanwhile, reports from outlets like The Independent revealed that Milley referred to Trump as “fascist to the core” in Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, War.
At a recent CNN town hall, Vice President Kamala Harris echoed this sentiment, directly calling Trump a fascist when asked.
During the Fox interview, Rubio questioned the motivations behind Kelly’s and Milley’s statements, suggesting they aimed to position themselves favorably for future employment by turning against Trump. He challenged the credibility of their claims, asking why they didn’t leave the administration if they truly believed Trump was guilty of such extreme actions.
Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, another Trump ally, defended the former president’s leadership on ABC News’ This Week. He stressed that Trump is neither a fascist nor a dictator, asserting that the retired generals’ comments were an attempt to stoke unnecessary fears about Trump’s capabilities.
Graham confidently stated, “I was there too. I don’t think he’s a fascist. I think he will be a strong president to get this country back on track, to revive our economy, to secure our border and put out fires.”