House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said he believes President Trump will follow in the footsteps of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to try to stay in power.
Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, said he doesn’t think Trump will leave office if he loses the presidential election to Joe Biden in November. He compared Trump to Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist, and said he will do anything to remain in power.
“I feel very strongly that this man has taken on a strong-arm tactic, and I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini, Putin is Hitler,” Clyburn said. “I said that back then, and I believe that. I believe very strongly that this guy never had any idea about being one to peacefully transfer power. I don’t think he plans to leave the White House. He doesn’t plan to have fair, unfettered elections.”
“I believe that he plans to install himself in some kind of emergency way to continue to hold on to office. And that’s why the American people had better wake up. I know a little bit about history, and I know how countries find their demise. It is when we fail to let democracy and the fundamentals of which is a fair, unfettered election, and that’s why he’s trying to put a cloud over this election,” he added.
Clyburn noted that Trump had tweeted that the election date may need to be delayed because of the coronavirus. Clyburn called the president’s remarks about changing the date “some of the worst stuff” he’s heard in his political career.
“I really feel that the fundamentals [of U.S. democracy] are being frayed,” he said. “If we are not careful, this country — it will be lost for our next generation.”
