MSNBC is being slammed for using footage from Nazi rallies and comparing it with former President Donald Trump's historic campaign event at Madison Square Garden Sunday. The left-leaning network aired footage from a 1939 Nazi rally held at the same New York City arena, drawing comparisons to Trump's recent event, which packed the iconic venue.
Host Jonathan Capehart recalled the Nazi rally while discussing Trump's event on Sunday, noting that "in 1939, more than 20,000 supporters of different fascist leader, Adolf Hitler, packed the Garden for a so-called pro-America rally." MSNBC aired footage showing goose-stepping and Hitler salutes, as Capehart accused Trump of hosting a fascist gathering at the Garden.
In Poor Taste
"But that jamboree happening right now, you see it there on your screen in that place is particularly chilling because in 1939, more than 20,000 supporters of a different fascist leader, Adolf Hitler, packed the Garden for a so-called pro-America rally," Capehart said while rolling the footage.
Capehart added: "Against that backdrop of history, Donald Trump - the man who has threatened to use the military against opponents he calls 'enemies from within, who has threatened to use the troops to quell what he says are lawless cities and to use those troops to carry out mass deportations of immigrants - is once again turning Madison Square Garden into a staging ground for extremism"
Social media erupted with criticism of MSNBC over the comparison, with several users noting that Madison Square Garden has hosted many political events in the past, including the 1992 Democratic National Convention.
"MSNBC just called 20.000 Trump supporters nazi's. Let that sink in," one user wrote.
"They must have forgotten that the DNC held their convention there for Bill Clinton," said a second user.
A third wrote: "MSNBC is a shameful extension of the Democrat Party of hate and division."
However, it wasn't just MSNBC that made the distasteful comparison. Democratic candidate for VP Tim Walz said, "There's a direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden."
Walz added: "And don't think that he doesn't know for one second exactly what they're doing there."
Trump's niece Mary Trump also echoed similar sentiment and wrote: "So, we're really doing this again. Eyes wide open."
Republicans Slam Network
Republicans branded the comparison "shameful", who pointed out the diversity of the crowd.
"Yesterday's Trump rally was filled with Americans from every walk of life including orthodox, conservative, reform, and secular Jews. I saw a woman in a burka. It wasn't anything like a Nazi rally. Shame on MSNBC," wrote X user @amuse.
Some noted that Holocaust survivor Jerry Wartski was present at the event.
Critics went as far as accusing MSNBC of "incitement," and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who spoke at the rally, labeled the network as the "scum of the Earth" on X.
Democrats have aimed to present themselves as the party of optimism and unity, a theme Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized during her nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August when she called for "a new way forward."
However, MSNBC seemed to overlook the essence of that message by comparing Trump supporters to Nazis.
