House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) told Axios on HBO Sunday, in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, that President Donald Trump is a racist who could make the U.S. “go the way of Germany in the 1930s.”

Axios published a preview of the interview Sunday, and reported (original emphasis):

Rep. James Clyburn, the top-ranking African American in American politics, told “Axios on HBO” that President Trump is a racist who hired white supremacists, warning America “could very well go the way of Germany in the 1930s.” Why it matters: Clyburn is a force in Democratic politics widely credited for resurrecting Joe Biden’s campaign with his South Carolina primary endorsement. He warned in great detail of what he sees as troubling parallels between America today and Nazi Germany. … “I used to wonder how could the people of Germany allow Hitler to exist. But with each passing day, I’m beginning to understand how. And that’s why I’m trying to sound the alarm.” Clyburn compared Republicans’ coalescing around Trump to Nazis supporting Hitler amid his rise to power. He argued that falsehoods in Trump’s State of the Union address showcased the issue.