Former President Trump responded to his former White House chief of staff John Kelly — who said in recent days that his ex-boss met the definition of a “fascist” and had an affinity for Adolf Hitler and dictators — by saying he was a ‘totally degenerate’.

“Thank you for supporting a total degenerate named John Kelly who made up a story out of pure hatred of Trump Derangement Syndrome!” Trump wrote this on his Truth Social account on Wednesday. “John Kelly is a LOWLIFE and a bad general whose advice I stopped seeking in the White House and told him to move on!”

Kelly spoke to The New York Times earlier this week and expressed his concerns about Trump’s possible return to the White House.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly listens as US President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing with senior military leaders in the White House Cabinet Room, October 5, 2017 (Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)

He told the newspaper that he believed Trump met the definition of a “fascist” and that he would rule as a dictator if he allowed him to.

“Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he is certainly authoritarian and admires people who are dictators – he has said that. So he certainly falls under the general definition of fascist,” Kelly said. “He certainly prefers the dictatorial approach of the government.”

Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall said Kelly is respected in military and political circles, and Trump’s response to the retired Marine general’s comments should come as no surprise.

White House Chief of Staff attends an annual meeting of the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Anyone who says anything negative about him, even if they were part of his inner circle, he comes back and insults them,” she said on “Special Report” on Wednesday. “That seems to be his M.O., and unfortunately his supporters are fine with that.”

Talk radio host Chris Ryan said everything Kelly says has “validity,” “substance” and “gravity.”

“But I also don’t think it’s going to change anything about this race other than this – Kamala Harris wants to shift the race back to Donald Trump. She doesn’t really have a closing argument other than the fact that she says she’s not Donald Trump, and offers more stability than Donald Trump, and her proximity should be focused on him,” Ryan added.

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Enten thought Trump’s gains among independent voters in key swing states were remarkable and a good sign for his campaign. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Ret. Brig. General Anthony Tata questioned the timing of Kelly’s comments just weeks before Election Day, arguing that it “smacks of personal revenge.”

Kelly also told the Times that Trump spoke positively about Hitler.

“He remarked more than once, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things too,’” Kelly said.

The Atlantic also ran a story earlier this week using two unnamed people who claimed Trump said he “needed the kind of generals Hitler had.”

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Trump campaign adviser Alex Pfeiffer pushed back against the claims, telling the newspaper: “This is absolutely false.” “President Trump never said this.”

Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, waves during a campaign rally at the Greensboro Coliseum on Tuesday, October 22 in Greensboro, NC (AP/Alex Brandon)

Nick Ayers, Mike Pence’s former chief of staff, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Kelly’s comments are “patently false.”

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“I have avoided commenting on staff leaks, rumors or even lies relating to my time in the White House, but General Kelly’s comments about President Trump are too egregious to ignore,” Ayers wrote.