Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has released a recording of John F. Kelly, President Donald J. The content has been transformed into two completely new advertisements.
The ad is the latest attempt by Ms. Harris in the last two weeks to turn the 2024 campaign into a referendum on Mr. Trump and his eligibility for the presidency. Harris issued a televised statement from her home this week after Kelly’s comments were made public, saying she was warning the nation.
The ad, titled “Warning,” will be added to the Harris campaign’s TV and digital ad rotation immediately, campaign officials said, adding that it will specifically target a market with a large population of military veterans.
And Harris reinforced that message Wednesday during a CNN town hall, calling Trump a “fascist.”
Both the 30-second and 60-second ads begin with a black screen, a pulsating alarm-like sound, and the words “Unprecedented Warning…” typed onto the screen.
The text then identifies Mr. Kelly, Mr. Trump’s former chief of staff and a four-star Marine general, before moving on to a recording of Mr. Kelly’s recent interview with New York Times reporter Michael S. Schmidt.
“Do you think he’s a fascist?” Mr. Schmidt asks.
The 30-second version condenses Kelly’s response. “He definitely fits the standard definition of a fascist, which means using the military to hunt down the American people.”
The 60-second version includes a longer quote from Kelly. “He certainly falls under the general definition of a fascist, which is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement characterized by autocratic leaders. It’s a very bad idea to use the military to target American citizens.”
Both ads include a clip of Mr. Kelly quoting Mr. Trump’s remark that “Hitler did good things, too.”
Both ads continue with a pulsating alarm sound and end with the same red text. “Donald Trump is unstable. Unstable. Seeking irresistible power.”
Mr. Trump has attacked Mr. Kelly since public comments, including Thursday’s Fox News interview in Arizona.
“I fired him,” Trump said, according to a recording provided by Fox News. “He said I looked like Hitler. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, it’s the opposite.”
