During the debate, undecided voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania asked Harris questions. At the broadcast’s start, CNN host Anderson Cooper also asked a question. “Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?” he asked. “Yes, I do,” Harris replied without hesitation.
The question arose in response to the striking statements made earlier by John Kelly, the former chief of staff of the former president. In an interview with The New York Times, Kelly had stated that the “general definition of fascist” applies to Trump. He described fascism as a far-right authoritarian, ultra-nationalist ideology characterised by a dictatorial leader and suppression of opposition.
According to Kelly, Trump also repeatedly stated that “Hitler did some good things, too.” Trump also wanted generals who were as loyal as “Hitler’s generals.” A Trump campaign spokesman denied the statements.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump responded on his own social media platform Truth Social. “Comrade Kamala Harris sees that she is losing, and losing badly, especially after stealing the race from Crooked Joe Biden,” he wrote. “So now she is escalating her rhetoric, even going so far as to call me Adolf Hitler and whatever else enters her twisted mind. She is a threat to democracy and unfit to be President of the United States – and her polls show it!”
The battle for the presidency is very bitter. Donald Trump had previously described Harris as a “fascist” but also as a “communist” and a “Marxist.”
