House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) suggested in an interview with Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei on “Axios on HBO” on Sunday that the U.S. “could very well go the way of Germany in the 1930s” if President Donald Trump is re-elected in November. 

Drawing parallels: Clyburn — who endorsed Joe Biden and is credited by some for the former vice president’s comeback in the South Carolina primary last month — discussed “the dynamics” of the president’s most recent State of the Union address. Clyburn pointed to instances in which Republican members of Congress applauded the president — despite numerous inaccuracies and exaggerations in his speech —  comparing them to Germans who cheered on Adolf Hitler in the early 1930s. “I really believe that the people of Germany knew Adolf Hitler was lying, but they cheered him on and before they knew it, they no longer had a chancellor, but a dictator,” he asserted. “Anything that happened before can happen again.” 

Clyburn’s pitch: Speaking to VandeHei, Clyburn explained why he’s speaking out now: “I used to wonder how could the people of Germany allow Hitler to exist? But with each passing day I am beginning to understand how. And that’s why I am trying to sound the alarm.”

Flashback: Clyburn made a similar charge on the eve of Trump’s state of the union address in an interview with CNN.