California’s candidate Langford said he was proud of his “German ancestry” and called Auschwitz a “great work camp,” sparking controversy.
The Auschwitz Memorial Museum slammed Kyle Langford, Republican candidate for Governor of California, after his antisemitic remarks, calling out his actions as a “profound moral failure.”
“The instrumentalization of the tragedy of all those imprisoned and murdered in the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz for political messaging is a profound moral failure,” said the official Auschwitz Memorial Museum.
“Auschwitz is not a prop. Kyle Langford, your post is an affront to the dignity of the victims and a disturbing display of insensitivity and disregard for the horrifying human history.”
Langford, who is currently the leading Republican candidate in California, published a photo of himself at the entrance of Auschwitz with a text that said: “My 0% unemployment plan.”
He also doubled down after being called out by the memorial museum, posting a message that said his “German ancestors smile upon him” and thanked the organization for a “shoutout.”
Kyle Langford candidate for governor of California, posted a photo of himself in Auschwitz. (credit: X/Twitter)
A candidate with nothing to lose
Langford’s comments came as he aims to secure a spot as one of the two candidates to fight for the California governor, where he faces low chances of competing due to the nonpartisan top-two primaries system and the heavy advantage that Democrats have in the state.
That allowed him to focus on a campaign centered around explosive comments, with antisemitism being one of his main points when trying to show himself as “disruptive.”
His comments on Auschwitz came as a “solution” to the homelessness and unemployment crisis in California, while he also called the death camp a “beautiful work camp.”