“Instead of listening and trying to govern with the people, he is trying to govern over the people, and, you know, that, I’m sorry, I’m a student of history, too. I saw the rise of Hitler,” Fried told podcast cohost Melissa Ross of WJCT radio.

When Ross asked if Fried was comparing DeSantis to Hitler, Fried responded “in a lot of ways, yes . . . I have studied Hitler and how he got to power, you know, wanting his own militia.”

Fried was apparently referring to DeSantis’s proposal to reconstitute the Florida State Guard, which was disbanded in 1947, to help respond to “state-specific emergencies” such as natural disasters. The proposed Guard would consist of about 200 volunteers and would fall under the state’s sole authority, with similar organizations currently active in 22 other states.