You’ll never guess who told people that Adolf Hitler ‘did a lot of good things’

United States President Donald J. Trump makes remarks on the illegal immigration crisis and provides an update on border security

I guess the turn-around for most political books is about six months, because several books are being released this month about how Donald Trump was f–king awful and he incited an insurrection after actively fostering white supremacists for five years. One of the books coming out is Michael Wolff’s Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, which as you might guess, covers most of 2020 and is the final “chapter” of Wolff’s Trump series. But there’s another book coming out which also looks pretty bad for Trump: Michael C. Bender’s Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost. Bender released this excerpt: apparently, Donald Trump thought Adolf Hitler did some good stuff.

While on a trip to Europe to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Donald Trump reportedly said that reviled dictator Adolf Hitler “did a lot of good things,” a new book alleges.

In his upcoming book, Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost, The Wall Street Journal’s Michael C. Bender reportedly writes that Trump, now 75, made the remark to his then-chief of staff, John Kelly. According to an excerpt released in The Guardian, Kelly responded by chiding Trump, with sources telling Bender the chief of staff “told the president that he was wrong, but Trump was undeterred.” Trump denied the claims through a spokesperson.

The book further details how Trump cited Germany’s economic recovery in the 1930s as an example of his claim, to which Kelly “reminded the president which countries were on which side during the conflict.” Bender claims in the book, according to the Guardian excerpt, that Kelly continued to push back and said that German residents would have “been better off poor than subjected to the Nazi genocide.” Hitler, of course, led the Nazi party and orchestrated the Holocaust, during which millions were murdered.

In the excerpt of Bender’s book, Kelly, a former Marine Corps general, allegedly also told the former president during the exchange: “You cannot ever say anything supportive of Adolf Hitler.”

Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington disputed the claims in a statement published on Twitter Wednesday. “The report from the Michael Bender book is totally false,” Harrington wrote. “President Trump never said this. It was probably made up by an incompetent general who was fired.”

[From People]

John Kelly was also the man who looked like he wanted to die when Trump called neo-Nazi murderers “very fine people” after their “march” in Charlottesville in 2017. Donald Trump absolutely sided with neo-Nazis, racists, white supremacists and anti-Semites throughout his presidency. Because he has those beliefs. He supported those people because he agreed with all of them. So yes, he absolutely spoke about how Hitler “did a lot of good things.”

(I’m not going to do a dissertation about the economy of Nazi Germany, but the argument of “well Hitler made the trains run on time” does nothing to capture the post-World War I economic depression in Germany, which made the country ripe for fascism, Adolf Hitler and Hitler’s message of “we’re suffering because of the ruling class, Jewish elites are oppressing us, we need to take their stuff.” You cannot separate Nazi Germany’s economy from the genocide, which is the point John Kelly was making.)

President Donald J. Trump departs the White House

Trumps visit FEMA

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

47 Responses to “You’ll never guess who told people that Adolf Hitler ‘did a lot of good things’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Holland says:

    I wonder if his having a reportedly German background (as well as being trash) has to do with this? This is the second American from German descent that I have heard excusing Hitler.

    I still can’t believe people voted for this fool. I still can’t process it. He never misses an opportunity to say the morally wrong thing.

    • ElleV says:

      He’s not a fool, he’s a malignant cancer of a man. Calling him a fool is downplaying the evil he very consistently courts and chooses at every opportunity. This is a dude with klan family members and Mein Kampf on his nightstand. This isn’t a fumble, it’s a feature.

      • Holland says:

        There are many pejorative terms that apply to the prince of darkness.

      • ElleV says:

        I do think the words we choose matter in contexts like this tho. Call him a fool when you’re discussing his failed businesses. But as someone who is half German it really bothers me when I see people frame evil as an Other – something inherent to a person’s background or intelligence as if being a clever non-German is somehow protective against fascist ideology.

        That’s why so many Americans are still in shock about his election. Framing him as a sideshow, believing the average American today is somehow morally better or wiser than the average German in the past, underestimated the threat posed by Trump and his ilk.

      • Sue M says:

        You say he is not a fool. Not so, he is fool. That is what makes him so dangerous. He is also a racist, a white supremacist, and a misogynist. The combination of utter stupidity with such heinous points of view are what makes him dangerous. We are talking about the man who tried to get the army to shoot black lives matters protestors.

      • observer says:

        he is a fool and that’s why he is dangerous. but…he’s also the fall guy, the diversion. spot on observation sue…

    • Kristin says:

      I don’t know, I think he’s just trash. I mean my entire family, both my mom and dad’s side, emigrated from Germany in the early 1900s and there are no Nazi/Hitler fans or sympathizers anywhere in my gene pool. Again, I think he’s just a complete idiot and a horrible person.

    • WingKingdom says:

      Having a German background has absolutely nothing to do with it. Are you suggesting that all people with German ancestors have some kind of Hitler-loving DNA?

      • ElleV says:

        Right? I mean, if we’re rolling with this n of 2, shouldn’t we also be side-eyeing all Americans? Which of these countries most recently elected a leader who openly admires Hitler and neo-Nazis?

        But no, it’s definitely something in the bratwurst lol

      • phaedra7 says:

        SHEEEEE-ITLERRR loving DNA (Damn No-good Ancestors)! Is this bastard trying to stay relevant, again!🙄😤🤬

      • observer says:

        seriously, and in germany they are extremely sensitive about this topic, i’m sure people know about the laws there too regarding nazi teachings and symbolism…

        it’s literally just coincidence

        it has nothing to do with him being part german and everything to do with being a sociopath. also, there’s no one more ‘murrkan than trump.

    • Sigmund says:

      Germany has actually done a good job addressing its history of Nazism. Much better than the US’s handling of slavery.

  2. MaryContrary says:

    Wow, Javanka-how to spin that for your kids? “Grandpa doesn’t mean YOU, of course.”

  3. Monstercat says:

    omg no I love a quiz let me guess!!!!

    • Zantasia says:

      😂😂

    • observer says:

      guilty admission i was reading tmz yesterday and they had one of their stupid polls up and one of the questions was “hitler did good things” – sound like something trump would say Y/N?

      well i voted Y and so did most people…

      but i actually didn’t check it or see the news story about it lol

      i love a quiz too apparently

  4. Leah says:

    Happens when all you read is mein kampf. Sure the monster helped in the development of the autobahn BUT.

  5. NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

    How is anyone surprised at this point? And why will 30% of the American population still vote for this guy?

  6. VS says:

    is anyone surprised? I dislike him so much and i hope he gets humiliated in 2024; hopefully we won’t have to wait till then; he should be indicted and in jail before 2024

    • Darla says:

      I hope he’s dead before 2024

      • fluffy_bunny says:

        But not before all his loans are called in, bankrupted and indicted. Then he die. If he just dies they’ll end up making him a martyr.

      • Amn says:

        Same. And not just normal, quietly at home stuff. Lovecraftian, eldritch horror type death.

      • cassandra says:

        I don’t. I hope he’s alive and tries to run. I’d rather have him muddying the waters in the primary than DeSantis having a clear path to the presidency.

      • Darla says:

        Cassandra, maybe you’re right about that. DeSantis does scare the isht out of me.

  7. Becks1 says:

    I am not surprised at what he said, I am surprised that John Kelly pushed back on him rather than just rolling his eyes and ignoring him, which is kind of the vibe I got from Kelly during his white house years.

    The world is complicated and people are complicated and history is complicated. I used to know more about the Germany economy in the 30s and Hitler’s actions during those years, but it’s been a long time since I’ve done any reading on it.

    But I do think that is a narrative that is too often accepted as truth – that Hitler did good things for the German economy and THEN he became evil…but he was evil all along . He was always using racism and nationalism and anti-semitism as his tools.

    • Keats says:

      Right?? John Kelly wasn’t exactly a profile in courage during his tenure on the Trump admin.

    • ElleV says:

      Absolutely agree – you can’t separate Nazi economics from the rest of the package! They were interdependent cogs in a machine whose ultimate product was death and disaster. And why is anyone impressed that regimes that trample human rights are profitable? They’re literally playing on cheat mode.

  8. HeatherC says:

    We all know what trains Hitler and his ilk made sure ran on time. We also know exactly what part of Hitler’s economic plan he wishes he could copy even if we never say it out loud.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Oh, horrible, but yes. And really, the whole ‘got the trains running on time’ was always a Mussolini comment, not a Hitler comment. But, yes, you’re right. And I’ve never heard praise for Hitler’s ‘righting the German economy’, there must’ve been some changes to the teaching of history since my degree.
      And the whole ‘made up by a fired general’ tweet? Pretty much verifies trump said what he said & Kelly said what HE said.

  9. Marla Singer says:

    45 needs to talk a long walk off a short pier. He is a shit stain on our history.

    • AmyB says:

      @Marla Singer – LMAO, thank you for making me laugh ! Truer words have never been spoken. I am a kind and decent person, but that fucking Orange deranged Cheeto has brought out all kinds of evil thoughts in my head!! I’ve never hated one person so much in my life! Shit stain INDEED!!

  10. Charlotte says:

    Let’s not forget when he visited the Ford factory and complimented them on their good bloodline too.

  11. Darla says:

    I hate this nazi f’er. I hate that we allowed his nazi sbag father in here. What a terrible day when that turd floated up our shores.

  12. Esme says:

    Is there a “how to fascist handbook”? Because here in Italy neo fascists say the exact same things about Mussolini, and I mean verbatim. (They’re equally wrong, obviously)
    There’s some rot in the fascist brain: they consider trains the peak of civilization, evidently, but mass murder can be easily excused. It’s a disease. It’s disgusting, and I’m so relieved Trump’s no longer in power (it’s not my country, but the US does influence global discourse).

  13. TeeBee says:

    I bet Trump HATED being chided by Kelly, probably so much that that is why Hitler figures so prominently these days in the minds of these right wing a**holes. They hate being told they’re wrong, or put their foot in it, or they shouldn’t do something. So much, that even when they know they screwed up, they’ll dig their heels in even deeper. Hitler is going to morph into an icon of the Republican agenda soon if they don’t get a handle on their feelings. They are so determined to defy good taste and common sense that they will embrace just about anyone and anything that causes public outrage. And yet there doesn’t seem to be any consequence that they suffer. The only barometer that the US has now is an election, and with the Republicans so determined to cheat, we may never really know what the US stands for anymore.

  14. sassafras says:

    Did anyone read his recent quote about how his blog is “better than Twitter” because Twitter takes a lot of time and now he has time to read papers and things?

    I mean, confirmation right there that he was on Twitter for 4 years and never did an ounce of reading or learning in the Oval Office.

    • observer says:

      he’s never done an ounce of reading or learning full stop i wouldnt be surprised if he hasnt read his own books back to back

  15. Susan says:

    this post TERRIFIES me. Triggers me. Because the fact that we are almost one year in, three years out from more possible Trump BS and the people that still support him, gives me serious anxiety.

    And to all the republicans who hated Trump but chose not to impeach, you guys killed your party. It will always be divided now and you will always content with the Trump faction. And when he starts campaigning and dividing your base, well, you get what you ignore.

  16. Ann says:

    Let’s be the cancel culture that we are and just cancel him.

  17. iconoclast59 says:

    Other people were impressed with Hitler turning around the German economy in the 1930s, including Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, and King Edward VIII. At the time, you could plausibly excuse them as being naive for not realizing that Hitler’s push for increased industrialization and production was so he could go to war. (Though in recent years it’s come to light just how much Edward VIII colluded with the Hitler regime.) Trump has no such excuse.

  18. Aiza SANDOVAL says:

    Actually he did. Among other stuff he did laws protecting animals and policies in favor of ecology. Totally ahead of his time. Of course, nothing justifies the horror and destruction he caused.

  19. Rise & Shine says:

    And NOW, the Trump Kushner clan is removing Allen Weissellberg (sp??), the indicted one from The Trump Organization from some of their properties. Seriously? Claiming no responsibility and that they hardly knew him. Allen has worked right next to Mr. Trump, Ivanka, Jared, Jr. and Eric for their whole lives (approx 50 years!!!) Yet the Trump Kushners are already fudging under OATH like Ivanka, not sure who he is…Justice please, please please and soon. Kiss for luck 🙂

  20. Rise & Shine says:

    Of course. Can only hope he and his family are held accountable for all of their misdeeds. They just threw the Trump CFO under the bus, and are pretending that even though Trump and his three oldest had worked closely with him for decades they are are suddenly distancing themselves from him like who, wait, what, don’t know him. Seriously? May justice prevail.