Republicans criticized Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz for comparing former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally to a pro-Nazi event held at the arena’s predecessor 85 years ago. Walz made the comparison during a stop in Henderson, Nev., as part of his “Fighting For Reproductive Freedom” bus tour. The Trump campaign and GOP quickly denounced the comparison, with members of Congress posting on social media calling for an apology from Walz.
The Republican Jewish Coalition released a statement condemning the comparison, calling it shameful and a trivialization of the Holocaust. They also criticized the Harris campaign for claiming that Trump exhibits admiration for fascist leaders like Hitler. Left-leaning networks like MSNBC also highlighted the comparison by showing footage from the 1939 pro-Nazi rally by the German American Bund alongside clips of Trump’s supporters.
A Holocaust survivor who attended Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, Jerry Wartski, criticized Harris and her campaign for invoking comparisons between Trump and Hitler. Wartski, who lost his family in the Holocaust, defended Trump and expressed his belief that the former president has always stood with Jewish people and Israel. He also demanded an apology from Harris for repeating what he referred to as a lie about Trump.
The current Madison Square Garden opened in 1968, replacing the venue where the pro-Nazi rally was held in 1939. Hillary Clinton also made a similar comparison to the Madison Square Garden rally in 1939 while attacking Trump’s campaign event. The Trump campaign spokeswoman called for an apology from Walz for his comments, stating that they are disgraceful and have already inspired assassination attempts. The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to the criticism from Republicans.
Republicans accused Democrats of desperation for making the comparison between Trump’s rally and the pro-Nazi event. They cited the presence of Jewish supporters at the rally and endorsements from Democratic politicians as evidence that Trump is not as dangerous as Harris and Walz claim. The criticism of the comparison extended to comments from left-leaning networks like MSNBC, which was accused of promoting the comparison through selective footage editing.
Overall, the controversy surrounding Tim Walz’s comparison of Trump’s rally to a pro-Nazi event at Madison Square Garden highlights the deep political divisions in the United States. The Republican Jewish Coalition, GOP members of Congress, and a Holocaust survivor who attended the rally have all condemned the comparison, while left-leaning networks like MSNBC have leaned into it. The back and forth between the two sides reflects the intense political climate leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
