The longest-serving member of the Wisconsin state Senate a Republican whos been in the chamber since 1987 revealed Thursday that hes voting Kamala Harris for president, warning that Donald Trump is a totalitarian and very much a fascist.

State Sen. Robert Cowles, whos retiring at the end of his term, shared his decision with Madison-based radio station Civic Media , saying this will be the first time hes not picking a Republican for president because of the threats the former president poses to American democracy.

Recent reports about Trump allegedly admiring Adolf Hitler , he said, were his final straw.

The big picture that really came to me in recent days ... thinking about fascism in World War II, and members of my own family that fought the fascists both in Japan and Germany, he said, adding: And then youve got Trump saying nice things about Hitler? And sucking up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? No. He is clearly our enemy, Putin a living enemy. And we have to show the courage that the people in the World War II era had.