Nazi, Nazi, Nazi! The Far Left Sees Every Misstep as a Reich

One of the most unsuccessful tactics employed by the left and many media outlets during this election season was the attempt to label Republican voters as “Nazis” determined to dismantle democracy.

What was once considered off-limits as a political analogy has now evolved into a peculiar fixation among liberal politicians and commentators, who equate every controversial action or statement with a resurgence of the Third Reich.

This obsession reached comical heights with the backlash against Elon Musk for an awkward gesture made during an inauguration celebration.

An enthusiastic Musk addressed the crowd saying, “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.” As he spoke, he placed his right hand on his chest and extended his arm outward, palm facing the ground. He repeated the gesture before returning his hand to his chest.

This all transpired in mere seconds, yet it was sufficient for the usual critics to erupt in a storm of faux indignation.

Commentators asserted that Musk had seized the moment to publicly affiliate himself with Nazi ideology. The Washington Post excitedly reported this week that the “Nazi-style salute” had “invigorated fans on the far right.” As is customary, liberal academics were paraded out to lend an air of credibility to this ludicrous assertion.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, declared, “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”

Mike Stuchbery took to X (the platform owned by the individual he now alleges is a Nazi reenactor) to assert, “I studied the Nazis at university, taught the history of Nazi Germany on two continents and wrote for major newspapers about Nazi Germany. I am internet famous for fact-checking chuds on the history, ideology and policy of Nazi Germany. That was a Nazi salute.”

Well, that settles that.

As the outrage mounted, any dissenting opinion was condemned as proof of being a Nazi sympathizer.

This stance became particularly embarrassing when the prominent Jewish organization, the Anti-Defamation League, pointed out that what Musk did was not a Nazi salute but merely an “awkward gesture.”

The primary tactic employed by the liberal mob is that dissent cannot be tolerated, even from respected organizations like the ADL. To combat opposing views or statements, a person must be made persona non grata. If you fail to cancel others, you face cancellation yourself.

Consequently, the ADL was effectively decried as lenient on Nazis by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.): “Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was repeatedly emphasized. People can officially stop regarding you as any reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for clarifying this for everyone.”

We have reached a level of absurdity where advocates for Jewish people are treated like they are sympathetic to Nazis.

This isn’t the first instance where Democrats have labeled Trump and his supporters as “Nazis.”

This narrative began years ago, as Democrats circulated comparisons of Trump to Hitler and his supporters to brownshirt neo-Nazis. The act of defeating Trump has been likened to stopping Hitler in 1933, and media figures such as Rachel Maddow even claimed hysterically that “death squads” were now sanctioned by the Supreme Court.

When Trump conducted a massive rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden prior to the election, the media was alarmed and promptly labeled it as resembling a Nazi rally. From the Washington Post to the New York Times, news outlets collectively expressed their concerns over “echoes of 1939.” In case anyone overlooked the implications, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz highlighted a “direct parallel” with the Nazis.

In the pages of The Nation, David Zirin described the Madison Square Garden (renowned for everything from cage fights to dog shows) as almost a sacred venue: “With his fascist New York City rally, Donald Trump has sullied what many consider a sacred space: Madison Square Garden.”

So Trump is labeled a Nazi. Musk is labeled a Nazi. Half the nation is called Nazis.

Of course, if everyone is a Nazi, then essentially no one is a Nazi.

This includes Ocasio-Cortez, who appears to have been categorized as part of the Reich after critics shared her imitating a Musk-like gesture during a speech.

There was no wave of media concern regarding how AOC’s gesture symbolized her extremism, such as her questioning the necessity of the Supreme Court, her attempts to disqualify Trump and various Republicans from ballots, or her supporting censorship. AOC possesses a license for hunting Nazis, a credential seemingly limited to figures on the left.

Naturally, the impulse to characterize political adversaries as inherently malevolent zealots and actively working to disqualify candidates from ballots is reminiscent of . . . well . . . a familiar historical context.

There exists a different path forward. We can set aside incendiary rhetoric and engage in genuine discussions regarding political and legal differences. In other words, we can contest policies without invoking the specter of Nazis.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”