From the Democratic Party of Virginia:
Virginia Veterans Respond to Report that Donald Trump Wants The “Kind of Generals That Hitler Had”
In a recent article for The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg reports: “As his presidency drew to a close, and in the years since, [Donald Trump] has become more and more interested in the advantages of dictatorship, and the absolute control over the military that he believes it would deliver. ‘I need the kind of generals that Hitler had,’ Trump said in a private conversation in the White House, according to two people who heard him say this. ‘People who were totally loyal to him, that follow orders.’”
The article highlights Trump’s troubling and dangerous obsession with authoritarianism, along with several accounts of him disparaging fallen soldiers and expressing contempt for those who serve in the military and their commitment to sacrifice and honor. In one account, he said “only suckers went to Vietnam,” and in another, said he didn’t want to pay for a funeral for a “f—ing Mexican.”
Statement from Terron Sims, Virginia Army Veteran and DNC Chair of the Veterans and Military Families Caucus
“In the United States, soldiers do not follow the orders of a dictator. In Donald Trump’s America, loyalty to one man is demanded over loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law. Here, fallen soldiers are honored and respected; under Trump, they are called weak and denied the dignity they deserve.
Time and again, Trump has proven he will dismantle the very foundations of our democracy for his own gain, trampling the principles of sacrifice, honor, and respect that our military stands for. We cannot allow him to be Commander-in-Chief again—the future of our nation and the world depends on it.”
Statement from Charley Conrad, Virginia Navy Veteran and DPVA Chair of the Veterans and Military Families Caucus
“Donald Trump is a disgrace to everything our country stands for. Our military is built on sacrifice and honor to the Constitution—not bowing to a dictator who threatens our democracy. As a veteran, I’m not only deeply concerned by his recklessness but also insulted by his constant attacks on the service of active military members, wounded veterans, and fallen soldiers. Someone who calls those who defend our country “suckers and losers” should never hold the title Commander-in-Chief. We must uphold the ideals of duty and respect by rejecting wannabe dictator Donald Trump.”
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Terron Sims, Virginia Army Veteran, Responds to Report that Donald Trump Wants The “Kind of Generals That Hitler Had”
On Wednesday, Terron Sims, Virginia Army veteran and DNC Chair of the Veterans and Military Families Caucus, joined 13News Now to discuss new reporting in The Atlantic that Donald Trump wants “the kind of generals that Hitler had.” Shortly after the Atlantic report was published, Gen. John Kelly, Donald Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, confirmed to the New York Times that Trump told him “Hitler did some good things.” On 13News Now, Sims highlights Trump’s troubling and dangerous obsession with authoritarianism, his disrespect of the military, and what is at stake in this election, especially as Trump talks about being a “dictator” on “day one”.
Virginia veteran Terron Sims warns against a second Trump term in response to Trump’s comments about wanting “the kind of generals that Hitler had” ⬇️
“I think it would be extremely detrimental to the future state of our society as well as however you define world order.” pic.twitter.com/Mx6TxJNCOC
— Virginia Democrats (@vademocrats) October 23, 2024
On 13News Now (ABC Hampton Roads):
ANCHOR: Former president Donald Trump is under fire following reports that as president, he said he wished he had generals like Adolf Hitler’s. The accusation comes from his former chief of staff John Kelly in an interview with the New York Times. And it’s something one Virginia veteran can’t ignore. Reaction came quickly.
TERRON SIMS: It’s not the first time I’ve heard him say something similar.
ANCHOR: And this time it’s in response to comments by retired Four Star Marine General John Kelly about his former boss Donald Trump when he served as his chief of staff. Kelly called Trump a fascist who admires dictators and said Trump privately asked why his generals couldn’t be more like Hitler’s.
JOHN KELLY: So he certainly falls into the general definition of a fascist for sure.
ANCHOR: Westpoint grad Virginia army veteran Terron Sims says he’s not surprised and describes what he thinks makes a good Commander in Chief.
SIMS: A selfless service to me is the biggest one. Your ability and willingness to put the needs of those you lead above your own.
ANCHOR: Kelly also confirmed previous statements in which he says Trump expressed contempt for disabled vets and called the war dead “suckers” and “losers.”
[…]
ANCHOR: Kelly joins a long list of military members and former Trump staff calling the former president dangerous. Sims agrees.
SIMS: I think it would be extremely detrimental to both the future state of our society as well as however you define world order.
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