Two retired U.S. Army officers are calling on Americans to take seriously the warnings of former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly regarding Donald Trump, whom they label as a threat to democracy.
Retired Army Reserve Colonel Kevin Carroll, a former Trump administration official, emphasized the critical role Kelly played in mitigating Trump’s more dangerous tendencies during his presidency. “The only reason Trump was stopped the last time was because people like Gen Kelly stood in the breach and acted as a check to Trump’s worst impulses. A second time around, those guardrails won’t exist,” Carroll stated during a press call.
Kelly recently described Trump as meeting the definition of a fascist in a New York Times interview, predicting a dictatorial governance style if re-elected. He also mentioned Trump’s troubling admiration for authoritarian figures, including Hitler.
Retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson expressed concerns about Trump’s potential plans to impose loyalty tests within the military, prioritizing allegiance to him over the Constitution.
“He’s going to want all the leaders from the [secretary of defense] all the way down to general officers and senior leaders in the military to swear to some sort of loyalty test that they’re loyalty is to him and not the constitution,” Anderson said.
Both officers agreed with Kelly’s assessment of Trump and stressed the importance of endorsing Harris. Anderson highlighted her qualifications, noting she possesses the “temperament, intelligence, and experience” necessary for the presidency, contrasting her with Trump, who faces 34 felony charges.
Anderson urged Kelly to take a firmer stance, advocating for a public endorsement of Harris.
“You are now in the political fray, regardless of whether you want to or not,” he said of Kelly. “And so you owe it to the American people that tell us not just that you oppose somebody, but you also support Kamala Harris.”
The call from these retired officers adds a significant voice to the discourse surrounding Trump’s candidacy, urging a clear alternative in the form of Harris.
