In politics, everything is forever. You only have to remember Howard Dean to know that’s true.
And now a top Democrat contender blew up his career with one brainless slip of the tongue.
Beto O’Rourke’s Inflammatory N-zi Comparisons Stir Controversy
Former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke’s provocative comparison of the Trump administration to N-zi Germany during a podcast appearance with California Governor Gavin Newsom has drawn sharp criticism, casting a shadow over his political judgment as his Powered by People PAC faces legal scrutiny for allegedly funding Texas Democrats’ efforts to obstruct state redistricting.
O’Rourke’s Extreme Rhetoric on “This is Gavin Newsom” Podcast
On August 13, 2025, O’Rourke joined Newsom on the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast, where he praised Texas Democrats who fled to New York and Illinois to block a quorum during a redistricting session, calling them some of the “very last lines of defense” of democracy. He then drew a stark parallel between current Republican actions and the rise of Adolf Hitler’s regime. “I can only imagine the history books written 100 years from now looking at the people of 2025,” O’Rourke said.
“It’s the way, you know, you and I when we were in school, we’re looking at the people in Germany in 1933. That guy’s named chancellor in January of that year. In 53 days, he has destroyed German democracy.”
He continued, “The parliament or the congress, their legislature, passed these enabling laws just like the Republicans are doing in Congress today that said anything you want, you go out and do it. And he goes from being this buffoonish, clownish thug who can barely hold power to the undisputed master and dictator of the German people. And I know this s— doesn’t repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes.”
O’Rourke’s hyperbolic language risks alienating voters who view such comparisons as inflammatory and disconnected from substantive policy debate.
Pattern of Controversial N-zi Analogies
O’Rourke has a history of equating President Donald Trump’s policies with N-zi Germany, a tactic that has drawn backlash for its lack of nuance. In 2019, he criticized Trump’s family separation policy at the border, stating, “Now, I might expect someone to describe another human being as an infestation in the Third Reich. I would not expect it in the United States of America.”
He later defended this, saying, “Calling human beings an infestation is something that we might’ve expected to hear in N-zi Germany… Describing immigrants — who have a track record of committing violent crimes at a lower rate than native-born Americans — as rapists and criminals. Seeking to ban all Muslims — all people of one religion — what other country on the face of the planet does that kind of thing?”
In 2021, despite Trump’s 2020 election loss, O’Rourke warned that the U.S. could mirror N-zi Germany within a decade, further fueling perceptions of his rhetoric as divisive and alarmist.
Legal Scrutiny of O’Rourke’s PAC Amid Redistricting Standoff
O’Rourke’s comments come as his Powered by People PAC faces investigation for allegedly funding Texas Democrats’ travel to avoid a quorum, a move aimed at stalling Republican-led redistricting efforts.
On August 13, 2025, Fox News Digital reported that Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) urged the Justice Department to probe whether the PAC violated federal election and public corruption laws by covering airfare, lodging, and fines for the lawmakers.
This follows a similar call from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sought O’Rourke’s arrest for defying a court order against such fundraising.
