CNN's Christiane Amanpour blasted for ‘unhinged’ on-air sermon comparing Trump era to Nazi Germany
CNN host Christiane Amanpour has been accused of taking provocative hyperbole too far, after suggesting that Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House is comparable to Nazi purges and book burnings.
The veteran television correspondent began her program by noting that Kristallnacht, the infamous night of vandalism and slaughter committed by Nazi brownshirts against German Jews, occured 82 years ago this week.
“It was the Nazis’ warning shot across the bow of our human civilization that led to genocide against a whole identity. And in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history and truth. After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden/Harris team pledges a return to norms,” Amanpour said.
CNN compares Trump to Nazis purging Jews pic.twitter.com/T5EcBjeDXi
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 13, 2020
Her attempt at linking Trump’s four years in office to Nazi pogroms triggered near-unanimous disgust on Twitter, with users expressing disbelief over Amanpour’s “unhinged” historical metaphor.
Unhinged
— Cudahy Gal 🌼 (@CudahyGal) November 13, 2020
Ben Habib, a former member of the European Parliament for the UK’s Brexit Party, dismissed the incendiary monologue as “third rate rubbish,” while others marveled at how the CNN host could make such claims with a “straight face.”
This is @camanpour on @CNN comparing Trump’s tenure to Nazi Germany. How the hell is this sort of prejudice tolerated on mainstream media? Third rate rubbish. pic.twitter.com/EG9eB9vQWo
— Ben Habib (@benhabib6) November 12, 2020
And she did that with a straight face. Impressive. Lmao
— President-Elect Blue-eyed 🙋🏼♀️Hey Joe I can too (@NeanderthalYT) November 13, 2020
Numerous observers noted that it was ironic that CNN, which spent years pushing debunked conspiracies alleging secret Kremlin ties to Trump, was broadcasting lectures about the assault on “truth.” One blue checkmark argued that CNN should retract Amanpour’s “egregious demagoguery.”
Lowest of low. They believe their audience is stupid, and ya half wonder if they’re right.This type of egregious demagoguery should be illegal and CNN should retract this garbage
— m D (@ImMatthew_Davis) November 13, 2020
CNN preaching about “fact, knowledge, history and truth” is really quite something.
— 🔭 (@FrizerTizer) November 13, 2020
Some on social media came to Amanpour’s defense, however. “So you don’t see any similarities between the way Hitler turned Germany into an authoritarian state and what Trump is trying to do now?” wrote one Twitter user.
So you don’t see any similarities between the way Hitler turned Germany into an authoritarian state and what Trump is trying to do now? Because if not, how do you explain how ordinary German people fell under his spell?
— Andrew Brook 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺 🎹 🎤 (@AndrewBrookLdn) November 12, 2020
Amanpour is far from the first person to suggest that the president is a modern-day Hitler. Trump is routinely described as a Nazi by celebrities and pundits, with many of his supporters receiving similar treatment.
Even government officials have participated in the questionable name-calling. A resurfaced tweet from Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs referring to Trump’s “neo-Nazi” base has raised questions about whether she can reliably certify the state’s votes.
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