A Fox Nation host has said that the US has been invaded by a “rampaging horde of illegal aliens” less than two weeks after 22 people were killed in a Hispanic-targeting attack in El Paso, Texas.

The comments were first noted by media watchdog Media Matters’ Jason Campbell. They repeat a pattern of extreme rhetoric coming from the Rupert Murdoch-owned media property and come during a national debate over the role of racist language from politicians and media figures in spurring violence and prejudice against immigrants.

Todd Starnes, who hosts a show on Fox News’ subscription streaming service spin-off Fox Nation, told viewers Wednesday night: “I do believe that we have been invaded by a horde. A rampaging horde of illegal aliens. This has been a slow-moving invasion.”

But Starnes took the invasion analogy further and reached for the Third Reich.

“When you go back in time and when you look at what an invasion is,” he declared. “Whether it is the Nazis invading France and western Europe. I mean, whether the Muslims were invading a country back in the early years. It was an invasion.”

According to Media Matters, Fox News’ reported or commented on a “migrant invasion” 70 times in the eight months leading up the the El Paso shooting and showed a clip of Donald Trump calling the surge of migrants an invasion at least 55 times.

Last week, Tucker Carlson provoked an outcry and caused at least one advertiser to suspend support for his show after he described the issue of US white supremacy as a “hoax”.

“It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power,” Carlson said.