Trump meets definition of a fascist, says former aide

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meets the definition of a fascist and "prefers the dictator approach to government," his former White House chief of staff said in a series of interviews with the New York Times.

With less than two weeks until the Nov 5 election, John Kelly, a long-time critic of Trump's, told the Times that the former Republican president had no understanding of the US Constitution or the concept of the rule of law.

Kelly said the former president would seek to rule like an authoritarian if he returned to the White House. In the interviews published on Tuesday, he quoted Trump as having told him German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler "did some good things."

"He certainly prefers the dictator approach to government," Kelly said, according to the newspaper. "Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he's certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators – he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure."

A retired US Marine Corps general, Kelly served as Trump's White House chief of staff between 2017 and 2019. Since Kelly left the White House the two men's relationship has soured and both are open about their disdain for each other.

Kelly has made critical comments about Trump in previous interviews. Trump's team has denied the accounts. Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said in a statement that Kelly "has totally beclowned himself with these debunked stories."

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said on Wednesday that the reported remarks were troubling. "It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler," she told reporters outside her official residence.