Melania Trump defends her husband Donald Trump: 'He's not Hitler'

Former first lady Melania Trump dismissed claims that her husband praised Adolf Hitler on Fox & Friends Tuesday.

She came to Donald Trump's defense after former White House chief of staff John Kelly told The Atlantic and The New York Times that Trump had praised Hitler and Nazi Germany during his time in office.

When the former first lady joined her husband on stage at a Madison Square Garden rally in New York on Sunday, the Democratic National Committee projected the words "Trump praised Hitler" onto the arena's exterior.

"It's terrible," she said Tuesday. "He's not Hitler."

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During a CNN town hall Wednesday, Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris called the former president a "fascist." Kelly also said that the GOP nominee "falls into the general definition" of one during his interviews.

"Couldn't be further from the truth," the former president told Fox News Thursday. "It's just the opposite, actually."

Fascism is a political ideology and movement that uses racism, a cult of personality that guarantees its leader absolute power, and encourages violence against political enemies.

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Despite the heated rhetoric, the former first lady said the Trump family is "feeling good" one week ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5. She added that, aside from two assassination attempts, this campaign cycle feels similar to 2016 ? the last time her husband won the White House.

Reach Rachel Barber at [email protected] and follow her on X @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Melania Trump responds to claims comparing husband to Hitler