GOP Rep Torched For Vaccine Holocaust Comparison That Even Greene Apologized For

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 17: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., walks down the House steps after a vote in the Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was called out by Twitter users on Wednesday night after posting a now-deleted tweet that likened vaccine mandates to an arm tattooed with a concentration camp identification number.

Twitter users of all political stripes pointed out the irony in Massie’s gripes over vaccine mandates, specifically rules like the one in New York City that require proof of vaccination to enter indoor businesses. He, along with other Republican lawmakers, have pushed voter ID requirements in an effort to pose more obstacles to voters — a point of contention that has emerged as Democrats push sweeping voting reform legislation.

Following backlash over Massie’s incendiary remarks, Andrew Zirkle, an intern for the Republican congressman, announced his resignation in a Thursday afternoon tweet.

This isn’t the first time Republican lawmakers have deployed Nazi-era comparisons to complain about COVID-19 mitigation policies.

Following a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. in June, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) finally issued an overdue apology for her “offensive” comments that compared mask policies to the Holocaust amid her refusal to comply with the House’s mask mandate.

After acknowledging the deaths of six million Jews during the Holocaust, Greene finally admitted that her comments were inflammatory.

“There is no comparison to the Holocaust,” Greene said. “And there are words that I have said, remarks that I have made, that I know are offensive, and for that, I want to apologize.”

That apology came after days of backlash and after Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) signaled that he was preparing to introduce a censure resolution against Greene over her comments. Schneider backed away from his censure threat following Greene’s visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Greene, however, hasn’t stopped slinging Nazi-era comparisons. In recent months, she has compared the Biden administration’s door-knocking efforts to promote vaccinations to Nazi “brown shirts” and vaccine mandates to segregation.

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