'Essence of fascism': Soap star unloads on 'orange idiot' Trump after evacuating home

A soap opera actor unloaded on Donald Trump during an interview with CNN after evacuating his California home as wildfires approached.

Eric Braeden, the 83-year-old "Young and the Restless" star, appeared on the network after posting dramatic video on his Instagram account showing him flee his home as the flames advanced on his property, and he told host Laura Coates the fires were the most terrifying he had experienced in over 40 years in the area.

“It’s the price we pay for living in this beautiful area,” Braeden said. “California’s a fantastic state. It’s one of the most productive states in the nation — not according to the orange idiot who will take over on the 25th of January or whatever, but it is truly one of the most productive states ever in the United States.”

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The actor didn't identify the president-elect, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, by name, but he clearly had Trump in mind when he defended Gov. Gavin Newsom from his social media attacks.

“To be very frank with you, I think everyone is really trying to do their damn best, okay, and some idiot, the orange idiot, went on television, and some your fellow network, and claimed all kinds of things about [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom and California and the water distribution – all nonsense," Braeden said. “What some of these characters are now disseminating on one particular network and on some podcasts is outrageous and very damaging to our nation."

Braeden was born in Germany during World War II and grew up amidst the devastation, and he saw some parallels between the Nazis and the incoming administration.

“This is a great nation, trust me, I know whereof I speak," Braeden said. "I come from a nation that believed in fascist ideology for a while, and we certainly will not want to go into that again. But we are close to it because people want to simplify complex problems. The essence of fascism is to simplify complex problems and feed people who don’t have time to read some bull----.”

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