Kamala Harris seizes on John Kelly's “fascist” comments about Donald Trump to give the story resonance in a fractured media landscape

All three major cable news networks carried Vice President Kamala Harris's brief remarks on the latest twist in the presidential campaign: John Kelly, Donald Trump's former chief of staff, said via audio that the Republican nominee “certainly falls for the general.” Definition of fascist.”

“Donald Trump has become increasingly unhinged and unstable, and in a second term people like John Kelly would not be there to counter his tendencies and actions,” Harris said.

“So the bottom line is: We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants uncontrolled power.”

Harris' comments were a late addition to her schedule following reports Tuesday evening in The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Kelly gave audio commentary to the Times that was posted on the Times website, and it was covered on the network's morning shows and other major media outlets, although not to the extent that it was a true October surprise. The difference was that Kelly used his own voice to confirm earlier reports that Trump had called members of the military “suckers” and “losers.”

Kelly also told the Times that Trump “said more than once, 'You know, Hitler did some good things, too.'” The Atlantic reported that Trump also said that he “needed the kind of generals that Hitler had”. Trump's campaign spokesman denied this.

A challenge for Harris' campaign was that some of the comments had been reported previously, including by The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg in the 2020 cycle and in the book by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser The divider.

Harris' campaign team held a press briefing earlier today with retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and Republican Steve Anderson and Army Reserve Col. Kevin Carroll, who was a former senior adviser to Kelly, and they were asked about the “fatigue” in… The party has reached out to the media and the public about some of Trump's comments. “I think it's breaking through, and I think it should be breaking through because the president's statements are becoming more and more unsteady,” Carroll said.

It is unclear whether Kelly will appear on camera. He didn't support Harris, but told the Times that “it's very dangerous when the wrong person gets elected to high office.”

Trump's campaign called Harris' comments a response to “the latest fake news smear against President Trump – their final message to Americans with just 13 days until the election.”

To Fox & friendsCo-host Brian Kilmeade defended Trump. He pointed out that H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump's national security adviser, wrote in his book that Kelly and then-Defense Secretary James Mattis “didn't like the president” and went out of their way “to make sure many were convinced.” “Things he asked them to do that they didn’t like were never done.”

McMaster “would say, ‘It’s not your job to rein in the president. It’s your job to do what the president wants.”

Trump is “obviously frustrated. I could absolutely see him go, guess what? It would be great if there were German generals who actually do what we ask of them, knowing that they are not fully aware of the third rail of German generals who were Nazis and whatever. But he was frustrated by the slowdown in orders that were not being implemented.”

This afternoon, Liz Cheney, who has endorsed Harris, wrote on “To defend Trump, you must look in the mirror and realize that your shame will remain forever.”

Both campaigns have resorted to non-traditional media to try to reach remaining undecided voters. Trump appears on Joe Rogan's podcast on Friday; Harris' campaign reportedly considered doing the popular show, but no interview has been announced.

The campaigns also hold major events in the final days of the campaign. Trump is scheduled to appear at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, while Harris reportedly plans to give a closing speech at the National Mall in Washington, DC on Tuesday. Bruce Springsteen will appear for her campaign in Atlanta on Thursday and in Philadelphia on Monday, with former President Barack Obama also in attendance.