MSNBC news anchor Chris Matthews has provoked controversy after he compared Bernie Sanders' recent election victory in the state of Nevada win this week to the Nazi invasion of France.

The Vermont senator, (who is Jewish) has solidified his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, after strong caucus victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and now Nevada.

Commenting on Sanders' performance, Hardball host Matthews stated: "I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940 and the general, Reynaud, calls up Churchill and says, ‘It’s over', and Churchill says: ‘How can that be? You’ve got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?’ He said: ‘It’s over.’"

He added: "So I had that suppressed feeling ... It looks like Bernie Sanders is hard to beat. I think it’s a little late to stop him, and I think that’s the problem."

On social media, a number of commenters were left outraged by Matthews' seemingly insensitive remarks. For instance, editor-at-large at Media Matters for America Parker Molloy tweeted: "It is absolutely unacceptable that Matthews is making comparisons between Bernie Sanders, whose family was murdered by Nazis, to Nazis.@HardballChris needs to retire. Immediately."

Meanwhile, journalist Jeremy Scahill wrote: "Let’s try to detangle this. Bernie, a Jewish man whose family members were killed in the holocaust, wins the Nevada caucus, and Bernie and his unprecedented diverse coalition are the Nazis and Chris Matthews, the DNC and MSNBC are now occupied France?"

According to The Times of Israel, Sanders has recently released a campaign video in which he has stated that he is 'proud' to be Jewish, while also blaming President Donald Trump for a rise in antisemitism in the United States over the course of his administration.

MSNBC news anchor Chris Matthews has provoked controversy after he compared Bernie Sanders' recent election victory in the state of Nevada win this week to the Nazi invasion of France.

The Vermont senator, (who is Jewish) has solidified his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, after strong caucus victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and now Nevada.

Commenting on Sanders' performance, Hardball host Matthews stated: "I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940 and the general, Reynaud, calls up Churchill and says, ‘It’s over', and Churchill says: ‘How can that be? You’ve got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?’ He said: ‘It’s over.’"

He added: "So I had that suppressed feeling ... It looks like Bernie Sanders is hard to beat. I think it’s a little late to stop him, and I think that’s the problem."

On social media, a number of commenters were left outraged by Matthews' seemingly insensitive remarks. For instance, editor-at-large at Media Matters for America Parker Molloy tweeted: "It is absolutely unacceptable that Matthews is making comparisons between Bernie Sanders, whose family was murdered by Nazis, to Nazis.@HardballChris needs to retire. Immediately."

Meanwhile, journalist Jeremy Scahill wrote: "Let’s try to detangle this. Bernie, a Jewish man whose family members were killed in the holocaust, wins the Nevada caucus, and Bernie and his unprecedented diverse coalition are the Nazis and Chris Matthews, the DNC and MSNBC are now occupied France?"

According to The Times of Israel, Sanders has recently released a campaign video in which he has stated that he is 'proud' to be Jewish, while also blaming President Donald Trump for a rise in antisemitism in the United States over the course of his administration.