2 former presidents of Mexico compare US presidential candidate Donald Trump to Hitler

US presidential candidate Donald Trump's political rhetoric has been described as "racist" and evocative of Adolf Hitler. PHOTO: AFP

MEXICO CITY (Reuters/AFP) - United States Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's political rhetoric is "racist", and evocative of Adolf Hitler, former Mexican president Felipe Calderon told reporters at an event in Mexico City on Saturday (Feb 27).

"This logic of praising the white supremacy is not just anti-immigration," Mr Calderon said.

"He is acting and speaking out against immigrants that have a different skin color than he does, it is frankly racist and (he is) exploiting feelings like Hitler did in his time," Mr Calderon said.

Mr Calderon, a member of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), also warned that Trump's rise in the Republican Party presidential primaries was fueling anti-Americanism around the world.

Mr Trump is exploiting the social fears "that in his time Hitler himself did", Mr Calderon told reporters. He warned that Mr Trump "is turning the United States into a neighbour that we're all going to end up rejecting and hating", and that was not in the best interest of the United States.

Mr Trump has accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners across the US border and has said he will make Mexicans pay for a wall on the border.

Mr Calderon was president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012.

Former Mexican president Vicente Fox, Mr Calderon's predecessor, also compared Mr Trump to Hitler in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN.

"He reminds me of Hitler," Mr Fox told Cooper on Friday.

Mr Fox, who served as president from 2000 to 2005, also said that Mr Trump was "crazy".

Mexico is the third-most important US trade partner after Canada and China, and the neighbours share a 3,145km border.

Mr Trump angered Mexico by declaring that the country was sending rapists and murderers across the border, and that he would force Mexico to pay for a giant wall to keep illegal migrants out.

Earlier in the month, Mr Calderon dismissed the idea of building the border wall as "stupid".

US Vice-President Joe Biden, speaking on Thursday during a visit to Mexico, said the message expressed about Mexicans by some candidates in the US election campaign is "dangerous, damaging and incredibly ill-advised", but that this episode of "xenophobia" will pass.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration has called Mr Trump's comments about Mexicans "prejudiced and absurd".

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