Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R), who unsuccessfully
campaigned for U.S. Senate in 2012, compared the economic situation in
the U.S. to Nazi Germany on Saturday.
“The people of Germany in a free election selected the Nazi party because they made great promises that appealed to them because they were desperate and destitute,” Mourdock said during a speech at the Indiana Republican Convention in Fort Wayne, as quoted by the Indianapolis Star. “And why is that? Because Germany was bankrupt.”
Mourdock called the comparison his “most important lesson” as he leaves public office at the end of the year, according to the Star. He also referenced the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, which took place the day before his speech.
“The truth is, 70 years later, we are drifting on the tides toward another beachhead and it is the bankruptcy of the United States of America,” he said.
“Over the next several years, every time a program began to fall apart, Mr. Hitler’s party was very, very good at dividing Germany by pointing to this group or that group,” he added. “First they went after their political opponents. Then they went after the aristocrats. Then they went after the trade unionists. And ultimately of course they went after the Jews. They deprived them of their property, their rights, their citizenship, and for millions their humanity. Because they were bankrupt!”
Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody called on Gov. Mike Pence (R) and other Republican leaders in the state to denounce Mourdock’s remarks.
Calling on Pence and our state’s leaders to denounce NOW Mourdock’s words comparing U.S. to Nazi Germany.@GovPenceIN @Brian_Bosma @indgop
— John Zody (@johnzody) June 7, 2014
The Indianapolis Star pointed out that some Republicans were critical of Mourdock’s remarks as well.
Mourdock lost the 2012 Senate race to Democrat Joe Donnelly. In the final debate of that race, Mourdock explained that he was opposed to abortion even in cases of rape because those pregnancies are “something that God intended to happen.”
