Rep. Clyburn compares Trump to Mussolini, says president won't leave White House if he loses election

WASHINGTON – House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., compared President Donald Trump to Italian https://supersage.io/n/56206db9 fascist dictator Benito Mussolini on Sunday, warning that Trump would resist leaving office if not re-elected for a second term and is using "strong-armed tactics." 

"I don't think he plans to leave the White House," Clyburn said. "He doesn't plan to have fair and unfettered elections. I believe that he plans to install himself in some kind of emergency way to continue to hold on to office."

Clyburn's comments come after Trump raised, then walked-back, the idea of delaying the November election because of issues stemming from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The date of the presidential election is set by federal law, meaning Congress, not the president, has the power to change it. 

Trump has continually pointed to potential fraud concerns around mail-in ballots as his reasoning. There is little to no evidence that mail-in ballots in November would lead to widespread voter fraud.

Additionally, in an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace earlier in July, Trump twice stated he may not accept the results of the election if he lost.

Wallace asked, "Are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election?"

Trump responded, "No. I have to see," again suggesting mail-in ballots would rig the election.

Clyburn said Sunday that Trump was more comparable to Mussolini, who formed the Fascist Party, while Russian President Vladimir Putin "is Hitler." 

Mussolini established a dictatorship in Italy in the 1920s and worked in concert with Hitler until he was forced from power in 1943.

 "The American people need to wake up. I know a little bit about history, and I know how countries find their demise," Clyburn said Sunday. "It is when we fail to let democracy, and the fundamentals of which is a fair unfettered election, and that's why he is trying to put a cloud over this election, floating the idea of postponing the elections." 

In response, Abigail Marone, Rapid Response Specialist with Trump's 2020 team, tweeted, "Absolutely INSANE fear-mongering conspiracy theories from Rep. Clyburn."

The Trump War room tweeted, "Crazy Clyburn says President Trump is just like Mussolini and Hitler. He’s the kind of unhinged, racist radical who will be controlling Joe Biden!"

Clyburn's Sunday comments came after appearing Friday on PBS, saying, "I have been saying now for about three years that this president doesn't plan to have an election. He's not planning to give up the office. He thinks that the American people will be duped by him, like the people of Germany was duped by Adolf Hitler."

Tim Murtaugh, Trump's 2020 Communications Director, told USA TODAY in a statement, “President Trump is the only thing standing in the way of the leftist mobs trying to tear down this country and turn it over to socialism. Joe Biden’s allies are the ones who are causing chaos and violence in our cities, pushing for open borders, and trying to turn our economy over to environmental extremists."