Then-President Donald Trump wanted to hide wounded members of America's armed forces from public view, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper claimed Wednesday.
Esper appeared on CNN to discuss Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly's shocking statement that Trump expressed admiration for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's powerful generals — and he wanted his staff to emulate them.
"John Kelly is a man of great integrity," said Esper. "I've never had any reason to doubt his honesty."
Anchor Boris Sanchez asked Esper if he could expand on Kelly's insights about Trump's words and actions behind White House doors.
While Esper said he hadn't heard the comments Trump made to Kelly, he'd had troubling conversations of his own.
"He was very troubled by the fact that we would have America's wounded warriors out in public and he did not like that," Esper said. "We'd have to have that discussion and he would, he just thought we should conceal them."
Esper took umbrage with this view and repeatedly explained to Trump that wounded warriors were nothing to be ashamed of, he told Sanchez.
"These were America's heroes," Esper said. "It was important to show the American people, and their colleagues, by the way, in the service, that when our heroes come home wounded, that we take care of them."
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Esper said he didn't understand the impulse to hide them from public view considering the sacrifices wounded military members make in service to the U.S.
"They weren't something to hide in the closet," he said, "but, in many ways, something to hoist up and to celebrate as again, people who served our country, who gave all for our nation."
Esper declined to label Trump a fascist but he praised Kelly for looking up the definition and deciding for himself — a task he suggested all Americans assign themselves.
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Merriam-Webster defines fascism as follows: "A populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition."
"Ask yourself if he falls into those categories," Esper said. "It's hard to say that he doesn't."
