Turning Point USA’s Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk went to the UK to try to recruit new members and grow their conservative movement internationally, which didn’t go so well in Europe thanks to Owen’s defense of nationalism and Adolph Hitler. During a Twitter discussion of her speech, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton weighed in, which led to an all-out social media feud between Clinton and Owens.
Hitler’s “make Germany great” included more than 400 regulations that stripped German Jews of their ability to work, go to school, vote, own property, seek care in public hospitals & enter “Aryan” zones. All before the Holocaust. In 1943, Germany celebrated being “free of Jews.” https://t.co/HDfUcCuWo9
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 8, 2019
The discussion was centered on remarks made by Owens in the UK in which she said Hitler’s brand of nationalism was fine with her, but that he shouldn’t have tried to take it outside of Germany. Killing Jewish people, the disabled, and LGBTQ people didn’t seem to bother her as long as he kept it in his own country.
People at the event were stunned. Buzzfeed reported on the meeting and Owens’ words about Hitler.
‘Asked by a member of the audience about nationalism in Western politics, Owens brought up Adolf Hitler. “I actually don’t have any problems at all with the word ‘nationalism’,” Owens said. “I think that the definition gets poisoned by elitists that actually want globalism. Globalism is what I don’t want. … Whenever we say nationalism, the first thing people think about, at least in America, is Hitler.”
‘“He was a national socialist,” she continued. “But if Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine. The problem is that he wanted, he had dreams outside of Germany. He wanted to globalise. He wanted everybody to be German, everybody to be speaking German. Everybody to look a different way. To me, that’s not nationalism. In thinking about how we could go bad down the line, I don’t really have an issue with nationalism. I really don’t.”
One Trump supporter was outraged by Clinton connecting Hitler with…Hitler, somehow, and he proceeded to make some misguided attempt to shame her for discussing the suffering of Jewish people in connection to the conversation, which was about Jewish people during the Holocaust.
I know you are trying to make a Trump/Hitler connection. I find it extremely offensive. Open a book and read what Hitler REALLY did. You are offending Jews that lived through the holocaust. You are offending soldiers that freed them. Find a legitimate cause!
— Andrew Martin (@MeetTheUnrealMe) February 8, 2019
Clinton responded with her usual grace and style, pointing out that she was referring specifically to Hitler’s heinous acts against Jewish citizens of Germany at the time, and saying that Owens’ whitewashing of Hitler’s crimes need to be pointed out.
Good afternoon Andrew – Ignorance about Hitler’s evil regime must always be confronted. That burden should not fall on Holocaust survivors. There was nothing, using @RealCandaceO own words, “great” about the Third Reich before it began annexing & invading its neighbors. https://t.co/Pq8vdtirly
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 8, 2019
Tagging Owens in the tweet brought her into the conversation, where she proceeded to spout nastiness about Clinton’s parents and her own hatred of a woman whose father became president when she was all of eleven years old.
Don’t you ever in your miserable life have the the audacity to tweet at someone who educating blacks on the nasty, racist, harmful “evil regime” policies inflicted by your soulless mother and father.
There will be a #BLEXIT. And your trash parents will be alive to witness it. https://t.co/6OOl4S8OK9
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) February 8, 2019
Once again, Clinton responded with kindness and grace. She also handed Owens some serious shade, directing her to the website for the Holocaust Museum so that she can educate herself on how “great” Hitler’s plans for Germany were.
Hi Candace – I wish you a life full of love, health & happiness. I love my parents. I’m also not my parents. Hope you have a wonderful rest of Friday & a great weekend. And, here is a helpful resource from @HolocaustMuseum – https://t.co/KMoVntxgBZ https://t.co/dlu4jaKVQv
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 8, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Lorie Shaull under a Creative Commons license