It’s a comment Jews sometimes hear from people who are anti-semitic when Adolf Hitler’s name comes up: “Hitler did a lot of good things,” often said by folks who downplay or with unpure motives “balance” the fact of the Holocaust. There are a slew of new books coming out with revelations about the Trump administration — and an upcoming one quotes then-President Donald Trump as saying: “Well, Hitler did a lot good things,” shocking his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired US Marine Corps general.
The Guardian got a copy of the new book, Frankly We Did Win This Election by Michael Bender of the Wall Street Journal. According to The Guardian, Bender reports that Trump made these comments while on a trip to celebrate the anniversary of the first world war’s ending. Kelly was reportedly “stunned” and reminded Trump “which countries were on which side during the conflict” and “connected the dots from the first world war to the second world war and all of Hitler’s atrocities”.
Bender writes that Trump denied he ever said it but “unnamed sources” — and the way journalism works that could mean Kelly himself or those close to him — said Kelly told Trump he was wrong, but Trump insisted pointing to Germany’s economic recovery under Hitler.
Bender writes that “Kelly pushed back again and argued that the German people would have been better off poor than subjected to the Nazi genocide.” He warned Trump that even if his claims were true he couldn’t “ever say anything supportive of Adolf Hitler. You just can’t.”
This isn’t the first time allegations have been made about Trump giving Hitler a pass on having the most brutal and criminal regime in history. There have been numerous articles over the year contending Trump had expressed admiration for Hitler — and reports that his ex-wife claimed Trump had a copy of Mein Kamph and would read it.
If you’re Jewish chances are somewhere along the line you’ve heard someone who doesn’t like Jews say “Hitler did a lot of good things.”
It’s different if it’s coming from a history professor.
Many people who say “Hitler did a lot of good things” don’t know much about history.
"Jeffrey Dahmer knew how to make a great meal." #ThingsTrumpMightSay
(Reported today that Donald Trump said Hitler "did a lot of good things," to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.)
— Don Lewis (@DonLew87) July 7, 2021
If Gen Kelly had chosen to speak out in 2019 when he left and had warned the US of the grievous incompetence he had witnessed maybe potentially saving 500k American lives. It would have been a far greater legacy than any he holds now and the act of a true warrior and patriot.
— NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) July 7, 2021
Trump praised Hitler? … of course he did. https://t.co/65oKI5WAMT
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) July 7, 2021
In his new book, ?@MichaelCBender? reports that Trump said Hitler “did a lot of good things.”
During their divorce, Trump’s ex, Ivana, said that Trump kept a collection of Hitler speeches by his bedside. Trump said the book was a “gift.” https://t.co/ChHvpizl6U
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) July 7, 2021
The fact that Trump told John Kelly that Hitler "did a lot of good things" shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. What should be surprising is that John Kelly stayed on the job as long as he did and didn't call him out.
— Amy Lynn? (@AmyAThatcher) July 7, 2021
Trump told chief of staff Hitler ‘did a lot of good things’
The man who kept a book of Hitler’s speeches on his bedside table admired Hitler? Who woulda thunk it?https://t.co/D6kgTU3Gfz
— LiA (@LibsInAmerica) July 7, 2021
You know what else Hitler was really good at? The Big Lie. Which depends on people not truth telling or doing what they could have done at the time it could have made a real difference. https://t.co/aXTpjydm0o
— Jon Cooper ?? (@joncoopertweets) July 7, 2021
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Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.