When Vice President Kamala Harris casually compared former President Donald Trump to Hi**er at a CNN town hall this week, the backlash was immediate and powerful—none more so than from 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Jerry Wartski.
Wartski, who survived the horrors of Auschwitz, didn’t mince words. His response was simple, heartfelt, and pointed, calling Harris’s remarks not only offensive but profoundly disrespectful to the memory of those who suffered and died during one of history’s darkest periods.
In a video posted online, Wartski shared what it was like to experience the brutality of Hi**er’s regime firsthand. “Adolf Hi**er invaded Poland when I was nine years old,” he said, recounting how Hier’s forces destroyed his family, murdering his parents and many other relatives. “I know more about Hi**er than Kamala will ever know in a thousand lifetimes,” he added, with the kind of quiet conviction that comes only from someone who’s truly lived through such horrors.
For Wartski, Harris’s words went far beyond the realm of political critique. He described her comparison of Trump to the N**i dictator as “the worst thing I ever heard in my 75 years living in the United States.” This isn’t just an overblown political statement from a campaign surrogate; it’s a profound affront to those who actually lived through the nightmare of the Holocaust. Wartski sees it for what it is: political theater at the expense of history’s hardest lessons.
And Wartski’s response to why Jewish Americans should support Trump this election season is just as compelling. “Because he’s a mensch,” he said, a term that, in Jewish culture, is reserved for someone of true integrity and honor. Wartski emphasized that Trump has been a steadfast friend to Israel and a consistent ally of the Jewish people, pointing to Trump’s many decisions in favor of Israel and the Jewish community as proof of his unwavering support.
There’s a weight to Wartski’s words that Harris’s rhetoric simply can’t match. Wartski doesn’t just know about Hi**er; he survived him. And for him, comparing Trump—who has prayed for hostages, visited Holocaust memorials, and stood in firm support of Israel—to someone like Hi**er is not only wildly inaccurate but deeply disrespectful.
“She owes my parents and everybody else who was murdered by Hi**er an apology for repeating this lie,” he said, driving home a sentiment that Harris’s words do a disservice to all who suffered under the N**is.
Auschwitz survivor Jerry Warstki, 94, denounces Kamala Harris in a new Trump campaign video for endorsing claims that former president is a “fascist” akin to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
“I know more about Hitler than Kamala will ever know in a thousand lifetimes,” he says. pic.twitter.com/hPWUQXrohN
— Josh Christenson (@jchristenson_) October 25, 2024
It’s sad that in today’s political climate, the memory of historical tragedies like the Holocaust can be so casually weaponized in a bid to score political points. For those who actually lived through these horrors, these comparisons aren’t just offensive—they’re painfully dismissive of the very real and tragic events that shaped their lives. For Wartski, the comparison goes beyond “politics as usual”; it’s a gross misrepresentation that demands accountability and a reminder that some wounds are too deep for cheap political shots.
