US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris said she believes her opponent Donald Trump is a fascist after reports emerged that he praised Adolf Hitler.

Speaking at a town hall event hosted by CNN on Wednesday night, Harris was asked by anchor Anderson Cooper whether she believed Trump is a fascist.

"Yes, I do," Harris answered. "And I also believe that the people who know him best, on this subject, should be trusted."

Harris: 'Trump is a danger to the security of America'

Harris cited numerous former Trump administration officials, including his national security advisor and vice president.

"They have said explicitly he has contempt for the constitution of the United States," she said. "They have said he should never again serve as president of the United States."

"I believe Donald Trump is a danger to the well-being and security of America," she added.

Trump accused of praising Hitler

Harris' comments came after a report by the New York Times, in which Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, John Kelly, said the former president had openly admired German dictator Adolf Hitler while in office.

Kelly had told the newspaper that Trump remarked that "Hitler did some good things too" and that instead of the US military, he "wanted generals like Adolf Hitler had."

Trump denied the account in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He claimed that Kelly "made up a story."

Early voting record numbers

Nearly 25 million people have already voted, either through in-person early voting or mail-in ballots, according to tracking data from the Election Lab at the University of Florida.

Several states, including the battlegrounds of North Carolina and Georgia, set records on the first day of early voting.

The record early turnout comes as Harris and Trump remain neck and neck in the seven most competitive states.

zc/jsi (AP, AFP)