Meg Whitman challenged Paul Ryan over his decision to support Donald Trump. | AP Photo Meg Whitman compares Donald Trump to Hitler, Mussolini

PARK CITY, Utah — During an exclusive Republican gathering here on Friday, billionaire mega-donor Meg Whitman challenged Paul Ryan over his endorsement of Donald Trump – and, in doing so, compared the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Whitman and Ryan are present for Experts and Enthusiasts, an annual summit convened here by Mitt Romney that brings together his top donors and major political figures. Part of the day’s program included a discussion session between Ryan and former broadcast journalist Campbell Brown.


At one point, according to two sources, during a question and answer session, Whitman, the billionaire chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard, challenged Ryan over his decision to support Trump. In framing the question, according to the sources, she compared Trump to past historical demagogues including Hitler and Mussolini.

In responding to the question, Ryan pointed out that he’s criticized Trump in the past. But, as the House Republican leader, he stressed that he had a complex job and had to lead an entire conference.

A Ryan spokesman declined to comment. A Whitman spokesman declined to comment.

The exchange was first reported by the Washington Post.

Whitman, who waged an unsuccessful 2010 bid for California governor, has been an outspoken Trump critic. During the primary, she threw her support to Our Principles, an anti-Trump super PAC.

Brown also pressed Ryan on his decision to support Trump. At one point, she said that her young son, a Ryan fan, had asked her why the speaker had decided to endorse Trump.

Ryan this week said Trump’s comments about a federal judge of Mexican judge were the “textbook” definition of racism. Yet he hasn’t rescinded his endorsement, which he had initially withheld.

