US Election 2024: Donald Trump calls John Kelly ‘lowlife’, ‘dumb’ as war of words heats up

Former US President Donald Trump has retaliated against his former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, after the General’s recent sharp criticisms in an interview. Kelly, who served under Trump from 2017 to 2019, accused the former president of belittling US soldiers and exhibiting authoritarian behaviour. In his post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump vehemently rejected these accusations and launched an attack on Kelly.

Trump's response

In his posts, Trump labelled Kelly a "total degenerate" and claimed he fabricated stories out of "Trump Derangement Syndrome." He specifically countered Kelly’s allegation that Trump referred to fallen soldiers as "losers and suckers," calling it “a lie”. Expressing frustration over having to respond, Trump emphasised his need to “hit back in pursuit of the truth”.

The former president also criticised Kelly’s character, describing him as "tough and dumb" and asserting that he had become "JELLO" over time. Trump noted that he no longer sought Kelly’s advice during his presidency and eventually told him to “move on.” 

“John Kelly is a lowlife, and a bad General, whose advice in the White House I no longer sought, and told him to move on!” he added.

Kelly’s allegations

John Kelly’s criticisms have gained significant attention, particularly after his interview with The New York Times, in which he described Trump as embodying "the general definition of a fascist" and preferring a "dictator approach to government". 

He claimed Trump sought generals like those who served Adolf Hitler and that Trump harboured authoritarian tendencies. "Well, looking at the definition of fascism, it's a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology," Kelly said. “Certainly, in my experience, those are the kinds of things that [Trump] thinks will work better in terms of running America.”

He also alleged that Trump had expressed admiration for some of Hitler’s actions, and he believed Trump "would love" to be a dictator.

Kelly also accused Trump of disrespecting US troops, reiterating the controversial claim that the former president had privately referred to soldiers who died in battle as “losers and suckers”.

Kelly's remarks come at a pivotal moment as Trump campaigns as the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential race.