Is this true? “Hitler did a lot of good things; he shouldn’t be judges by that one genocide” Comment from General Mark Milley

1. How the claim originated and why it matters: tracing the contested quotation

The specific line—“Hitler did a lot of good things; he shouldn’t be judged by that one genocide”—has been circulated as an attributed quote to Gen. Mark Milley, but no reputable reporting records Milley saying that. Coverage that touches this phrasing instead links it to an allegation about former President Donald Trump telling Chief of Staff John Kelly that “Hitler did a lot of good things,” a quote reported in 2021 that Trump denied ^[2]. Contemporary news coverage in 2021 and later documents Milley’s criticisms of authoritarian rhetoric and his comparisons of some post‑2020 political actors to fascist movements; these pieces do not contain any statement by Milley praising Hitler or minimizing the Holocaust ^{[3] [4]}.

2. What Milley actually said in public reporting: condemnation, not praise

Reporting from multiple outlets documents Gen. Milley drawing parallels between authoritarian rhetoric and historical fascism and warning about threats to democratic norms; these accounts show him using terms like “the gospel of the Führer” to criticize actions he viewed as authoritarian, and comparing some extremist groups to the regime the United States fought in World War II ^{[3] [4]}. Milley’s quoted remarks are framed as warnings and condemnations, not endorsements. The sources consistently portray him as critical of Nazi ideology in public comments and in accounts that emerged around books and reporting in 2021 and later, with no supportive quote about Hitler’s record attributed to him ^{[1] [4]}.

3. Where the misattribution fits: a known confusion between subjects

Multiple analyses show confusion between who said what: the controversial “Hitler did a lot of good things” attribution in news narratives was linked to a reported remark by Donald Trump to John Kelly, not to Gen. Milley ^[2]. This misattribution appears to be a case of quote slippage, where a shocking phrase reported in one context is later reassigned to another public figure in social media or secondary summaries. Primary reporting from July 2021 and subsequent coverage makes clear the original allegation targeted Trump’s remark, while Milley’s role in the reporting was as a critic of perceived authoritarian tendencies ^{[2] [4]}.

4. Timeline and source consistency: what the record shows across 2021–2024

Reporting from mid‑July 2021 first circulated allegations about Trump’s alleged remark and published Milley’s critical comparisons of contemporary political conduct to fascist examples; subsequent pieces in 2024 revisited Milley’s critiques in the context of new books and commentary ^{[3] [1]}. Across these publications, the factual record retains consistency: Milley voiced concern about authoritarian rhetoric and groups, but there is no contemporaneous source that records Milley praising Hitler or minimizing the Holocaust. The dates and content of the cited articles reinforce that the quotation in question does not appear in credible reporting tied to Milley ^{[1] [3]}.

5. Competing agendas and why misquotes spread: motives and indicators

False attributions of extremist praise to prominent figures spread because they create sensational narratives that fit preexisting political frames. In this instance, the misattribution shifts blame or controversy between public actors—assigning a morally explosive assertion to Milley rather than the person originally alleged. The source materials show distinct agendas: some outlets emphasized Milley’s warnings about authoritarianism, others focused on the Trump‑Kelly allegation; the misquote simplifies both into a provocative false claim that serves partisan amplification rather than factual clarity ^{[4] [1]}.

6. Bottom line and verification guidance for readers

The verifiable record shows no evidence that Gen. Mark Milley ever said “Hitler did a lot of good things; he shouldn’t be judged by that one genocide.” Primary reporting attributes that phrasing to an allegation about Donald Trump, which Trump denies, and records Milley’s statements as critical of authoritarian rhetoric ^{[2] [3] [1]}. To verify similar claims, consult primary contemporary reporting and direct quotations in major outlets and cross‑check dates—misattributions frequently arise when dramatic lines are pulled out of surrounding context and reassigned.