GOP Aide Says ‘Democrats Are Doing What Hitler Did’
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
An aide to a New York state senator compared Democrats and a survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting to Nazis in a Facebook post.
“The Democrats are doing exactly what Hitler did… He used the youth to disarm and control the people. This is scary!” Anthony Testaverde, an aide to Sen. Martin Golden, wrote on Saturday,
Testaverde also shared a photo of a shooting survivor with his right arm extended, comparing it to a photo of Hitler doing a Nazi salute, and captioned it “I knew something was off about this kid.”
Golden, a Republican from Brooklyn, issued a statement condemning his aide’s actions, The New York Post reported.
“The views expressed in this social media post are wrong and offensive as they are misguided,” he said. “At my direction the post that was ‘shared’ has been deleted.”
It is unknown if disciplinary action will be taken against Testaverde, but Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat running for Golden’s seat, tweeted that he wanted Testaverde fired.
“No one who espouses such despicable hated and idiocy deserves one dime of taxpayer money,” he wrote, adding that if he does not fire Testaverde, then Golden is “complicit in spewing the same hatred.”
Contact Haley Cohen at [email protected]
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
