Donald Trump

Jacob Sullum | 10.30.2024 12:01 AM

John Kelly, the former Marine general who served as Donald Trump's second chief of staff, thinks the former president "falls into the general definition of 'fascist.'" Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, goes further, describing his ex-boss as "fascist to the core."

Rebutting those charges, John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, says the Republican presidential candidate is not thoughtful enough to be a fascist. Bolton's take seems more accurate: Trump's views, which combine long-standing authoritarian impulses with politically convenient positions of more recent vintage, do not reflect any unifying principle other than self-interest.

The incoherence of Trump's thinking is reflected in the incoherence of his speech, which in rallies and interviews flits from one topic to another for no apparent reason. His randomly capitalized social media rants resemble wacky email missives destined for the trash bin, written by the sort of........

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