The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party denounced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel after she reportedly made comments comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.
According to Gongwer reporter Jordyn Hermani, Nessel not only compared Trump to Hitler during the virtual 2020 State Nominating Convention of the Michigan Democratic Party on Aug. 29 but even jokingly suggested that the murderous dictator was more virtuous because he was “brave enough” to fight for his country in World War I.
“AG Dana Nessel kicking off her Democratic Nominating Convention by comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler, before joking: ‘Hitler, by all accounts, could read and write … and he also was brave enough to serve in his nation’s military,'” Hermani tweeted. “Adds that people should be concerned Republican state leaders are backing Trump, who has in recent weeks joked that he might not leave office if not reelected.”
“For context, re: Hitler — Her lead up to the statement was that neither had received the popular vote and yet still took office, denigrates immigrants, seeks to destroy unions, degrades those who disagree with them, etc. and then said she wasn’t talking about Trump but Hitler,” Hermani added.
AG Dana Nessel kicking off her Democratic Nominating Convention by comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler, before joking: "Hitler, by all accounts, could read and write … and he also was brave enough to serve in his nation's military."
— Jordyn Hermani (@JordynHermani) August 29, 2020
For context, re: Hitler — Her lead up to the statement was that neither had received the popular vote and yet still took office, denigrates immigrants, seeks to destroy unions, degrades those who disagree with them, etc. and then said she wasn't talking about Trump but Hitler.
— Jordyn Hermani (@JordynHermani) August 29, 2020
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox condemned Nessel’s comments to The Daily Wire, saying, “Not only is comparing President Trump to a man who murdered 10 million innocent people totally insane but to go as far as glorifying Hitler by praising his intelligence and calling him brave, makes me sick to my stomach. Nessel has proved yet again to be an embarrassment to Michigan, its citizens, and its laws.”
When reached for comment, Nessel’s communications director Kelly Rossman-McKinney doubled down on her comparison, telling The Daily Wire, “AG Nessel is passionate about this election and deeply concerned about the direction of our country under the current president.”
“The president’s actions — with the addition of the pomp and circumstance at the White House last week — was reminiscent of a certain historical figure and she chose to point that out after doing an extensive, careful and accurate historical comparison that resulted in a very long list of similarities. People deserve to know who they are voting for,” she added.
Noah Arbit, the founder and chair of the Michigan Jewish Democratic Caucus, came to Nessel’s defense in a statement to The Daily Wire:
Dana Nessel is not only the greatest Attorney General in the history of the State of Michigan, but a stellar representative of Michigan’s Jewish community. Any suggestion otherwise is not only absurd, but deeply offensive. As a proud Jewish woman, AG Nessel has spoken powerfully about the historical reverberations of many of the Trump administration’s most heinous acts, including rampant demagoguery and the persecution of minority groups and political opponents, which characterized Nazi Germany. Unlike Donald Trump, Dana Nessel knows a thing or two about history, and works to protect us from hate, not inflame it like he does. Michigan’s Jewish community stands with Dana Nessel against the most antisemitic president since Richard Nixon.
Nessel has faced blowback before for comments she has made that some deemed insensitive. As The Daily Wire reported, she sparked a backlash in April when she framed the coronavirus pandemic in racial terms.
Related: The Ben Shapiro Show, Ep. 851 – When Everyone Is Hitler