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Fact check: Did president Trump say he wants Hitler's generals?
1. Summary of the results
Yes, according to multiple credible sources, President Trump did say he wanted Hitler's generals. The claim is consistently supported across multiple analyses from October 2024 reporting.
The primary evidence comes from John Kelly, Trump's former chief of staff, who reported that Trump said "I need the kind of generals that Hitler had" during a private conversation at the White House [1] [2]. When Kelly asked for clarification about whether Trump meant "Bismarck's generals" or "Hitler's generals," Trump reportedly responded "Yeah, yeah, Hitler's generals" [1].
This reporting was corroborated by Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, who confirmed Trump's desire for generals like those of Hitler and noted this aligns with Trump's documented pattern of praising dictators and threatening to deploy military against American protesters [3]. Kelly further stated that Trump "admires dictators" and "openly expressed a liking for Hitler's generals" [4].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original question lacks several important contextual elements:
- Trump's denial: Trump has publicly denied making these statements, specifically denying that he said positive things about Hitler or that he needed "the kind of generals that Hitler had" [5].
- Republican defense strategies: Following the reports, Republicans struggled to defend Trump's alleged comments, with some attempting to downplay the statements while others tried to discredit John Kelly's credibility as the source [6].
- Broader pattern of behavior: The analyses reveal this comment fits within a larger pattern of Trump praising dictators and making threats about military deployment against domestic protesters [3].
- Media manipulation concerns: There has been misinformation circulating, including a fake headline attributed to The Atlantic claiming "Trump Is Literally Hitler," which The Atlantic officially denied, clarifying their actual headline was "Trump: 'I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had'" [7].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question itself appears neutral and factual rather than containing misinformation. However, the surrounding discourse has been affected by:
- Fabricated headlines: Fake news stories with exaggerated headlines like "Trump Is Literally Hitler" have circulated, potentially undermining legitimate reporting about Trump's actual documented statements [7].
- Political motivations: Both sides have clear political incentives - Democrats and Trump critics benefit from highlighting these statements to portray Trump as authoritarian, while Republicans and Trump supporters benefit from discrediting the sources and downplaying the significance of the comments [6].
- Source credibility battles: The debate has shifted partially away from the substance of the claims toward attacking John Kelly's credibility as a witness, which serves to muddy the factual waters regardless of the truth of his account [6].