Trump ally slams US generals for training armies that ‘folded like a cheap suit’

Former US commanders should reflect on their own conduct instead of attacking the Republican presidential nominee, Lindsey Graham has said

US Senator Lindsey Graham has hit out at several retired American generals and former government officials, after they reportedly described Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a “fascist” and a threat to the country.

During an appearance on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday, Graham accused former US commanders John Kelly, Mark Milley, and Jim Mattis of campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Trump was “was a strong leader on the things that matter the most” during his presidency from 2017 to 2021, the senator for South Carolina insisted. “Whether you like him or not, that is up to you. He is not a fascist. He is not Hitler. And that shows you how desperate this [Democratic] campaign is,” Graham stated.

“And let me say one thing to these generals: I admire you, I respect you, but for 20 years, you were given, and others, billions of dollars to train the Iraqi and the Afghan army, and they folded like a cheap suit. How about a little self-reflection about the job you did before you criticize others?” the Republican senator added.

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In 2014, the Iraqi military was unable to prevent an offensive by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), with militants taking control of large areas in the west and north of the country, including the cities of Mosul and Tikrit. It took the government in Baghdad several years to win back the territories with the help of the US-led coalition.

In Afghanistan, the local army was crushed by Taliban fighters within months in 2021 as the US military announced its withdrawal from the country after a two-decade intervention.

Earlier this month, retired US Marine Corps General John Kelly, who served as the White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, claimed that during his time in office the 78-year-old had praised Adolf Hitler in private and said “more than once” that the Nazi German leader “did some good things.” 

According to an upcoming book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward, retired General Mark Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described Trump as “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country.” Woodward also said that retired general and former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis agreed with Milley’s assessment of the Republican presidential nominee.

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Based on those claims, Harris accused Trump last week of being “a fascist,” a would-be dictator and an admirer of authoritarian figures. The former president denied the accusations and insisted that his opponent was “increasingly raising her rhetoric” because she “sees that she is losing, and losing badly” in the race for the White House.