Donald Trump on Monday told supporters in Georgia he is “the opposite of a Nazi,” as he responded to comparisons of his Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi gathering at the same venue

CNN
—
Donald Trump on Monday told supporters in Georgia he is “the opposite of a Nazi,” as he responded to comparisons of his Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi gathering at the same venue.

The former president also sought to turn criticism of his rally into a flashpoint for all Trump supporters by falsely claiming Vice President Kamala Harris is calling those who cast their ballots for him Nazis.

“The newest line from Kamala and her campaign is that anyone who isn’t voting for her is a Nazi,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Georgia, a line that his Democratic rival has not actually said.

Harris pounced last week after The Atlantic reported that Trump, while in the White House, had expressed admiration for the loyalty of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi generals. That report was substantiated by retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to 2019, who separately told The New York Times that Trump fit the definition of a fascist.

Harris responded to those reports at a CNN town hall, saying she thinks Trump is a fascist and that “the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted.” Her campaign has also used The Atlantic’s report and Kelly’s remarks in advertisements in recent days.

Trump seemed to be responding to those comments Monday night in Georgia, when he said his father had urged him never to describe people as Nazis or Hitler.