Controversial New York congressional candidate Carl Paladino faces fresh criticism for his remarks praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and comparing recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Texas to a so-called “false flag operation.”
“That’s the kind of leader we need today. We need somebody inspirational. We need somebody that is a doer, has been there and done it,” Paladino said in a radio interview unearthed by the liberal watchdog Media Matters Wednesday, referring to Hitler, who is responsible for the mass extermination of 11 million people in Europe including 6 million Jews.
The revelation of the incendiary remark about a man who oversaw the murder of millions of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, POWs and others during World War II follows a June 1 social media post shared by Paladino that suggested recent mass shootings were done at the behest of shadowy government agents.
“In almost every mass shooting including the most recent horrific Buffalo Tops Market & the Texas school shootings, there are strange occurrences that are never fully explained,” read the now-deleted lengthy June 1 Facebook post to his account, according to Media Matters.
Paladino announced his congressional campaign just two days later amid the national debate on gun control following a series of mass shootings.
The right-wing firebrand blamed the missive, which he would later say was written by a friend, on a staffer before claiming that he had forgotten about posting it himself.
“Any implication that I support Hitler or any of the sick and disgusting actions of the Nazi regime is a new low for the media. The context of my statement was in regards to something I heard on the radio from someone else and was repeating, I understand that invoking Hitler in any context is a serious mistake and rightfully upsets people. I strongly condemn the murderous atrocities committed against the Jewish people by Hitler and the Nazis,” Paladino told The Post on Thursday.
He told The Buffalo News that he wished he had spoken about Winston Churchill, the inspirational wartime prime minister of the UK, instead.
Paladino is running in a newly-drawn Congressional district based in Western New York after incumbent GOP Rep. Chris Jacobs dropped plans for reelection following GOP backlash for supporting federal gun control measures following the racist Buffalo massacre.
No stranger to controversy, Paladino has faced criticism for years over past remarks like comparing former First Lady Michelle Obama to an ape.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-North Country) offered her endorsement of Paladino soon after he announced his congressional campaign.
“Carl is a job creator and conservative outsider who will be a tireless fighter for the people of New York in our fight to put America First to save the country,” she tweeted June 3.
A spokesman for Stefanik did not directly address whether she still stood by his candidacy when asked by The Post Thursday night after Paladino’s Hitler comments were unearthed.
“Congresswoman Stefanik has one of the strongest records in the US Congress condemning anti-Semitism and led and passed bipartisan legislation to expand Holocaust education,” the spokesman said without directly addressing the outrage over Paladino’s praise of Hitler.
“How has the Republican Party stooped so low to support a man who has gone on record idolizing a monster that senselessly killed millions? Rep. Elise Stefanik has doubled down on her endorsement of this demagogue demonstrating how out-of touch Stefanik and GOP leaders are with the voters in this state,” Democratic state party Chair Jay Jacobs said in a statement.
State Party Chair Nick Langworthy just entered the race against Paladino.
While flubbing the exact number of Jews who specifically died in the notorious death camp of Auschwitz, Paladino claimed Thursday that he recognizes how atrocious Hitler’s actions were, despite his previous praise.
“There are some things in this world that we must all be angry about. During World War II, all decent people were angry at Hitler’s extermination of six million Jews in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. During the days of the civil rights battle here in the United States, all decent people were angry at the brutal mistreatment of Black people down south,” he told The Post.
The Nazi’s used multiple death camps to exterminate their victims, Auschwitz was one of the most notorious.