Facebook post comparing masks to Nazi Germany costs Minnesota GOP official the job

A Minnesota GOP county official has stepped down after posting an image on the group’s Facebook page comparing mask wearing to Nazi Germany.

The resignation was confirmed on Tuesday by Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan.

“Upon further investigation, the @mngop learned the Wabasha County FB page was not hacked last night, as believed by the Wabasha Chair,” Carnahan wrote on Twitter. “The offensive picture was unfortunately posted by a board member who has resigned effective immediately at the party’s request.”

Carnahan added that the Wabasha County Board apologizes for the “disappointing” post.

“We are saddened by the vitriolic post and hope as we move forward that Republicans and Democrats alike will maintain the highest level of integrity, respect, and sensitivity,” she wrote.

The image, which has since been deleted, shows a Nazi officer and a man wearing a Star of David. Jewish people were legally required to wear the Star of David during the Holocaust.

The caption reads: “Just put on the star and quit complaining, it’s not that hard.”

The person who posted the image was asked by Carnahan to resign, state party communications director Jack Tomczak told CNN. The identity of the official hasn’t been released.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced a mandate in late July requiring everyone in the state to wear masks indoors and in stores, according to The Star Tribune.

“If we can get a 90 to 95% compliance, which we’ve seen the science shows, we can reduce the infection rates dramatically, which slows that spread and breaks that chain,” Walz said.

Activist group Jewish Community Action denounced the image.

“Given that Minnesota rabbis recently spoke out in favor of a mask mandate, comparing that mandate to the Holocaust feels especially disgusting,” the group wrote on Twitter. “We ask the @MNGOP to tell Wabasha Republicans to stop using imagery like this. It betrays a total lack of both empathy and education.”

The CDC issued recommendations to wear masks “in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”

More than 4.3 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed and more than 149,000 people have died in the U.S. as of July 29, according to Johns Hopkins University.

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 8:07 AM with the headline "Facebook post comparing masks to Nazi Germany costs Minnesota GOP official the job."