A media training session at the organization's annual conference provided a rare look inside the effort to control the narrative.

PHILADELPHIA — Last week, a local Indiana chapter of Moms for Liberty attracted attention for quoting Adolf Hitler in its newsletter. After the local paper reported the story, the group added additional “context” but kept the quote. Eventually, after it faced even more scrutiny, the organization removed the quote and apologized in a statement posted to its Facebook group.

That, however, was a big mistake, according to advice at the Moms for Liberty national conference’s media training session Friday.

“Never apologize. Ever,” said Christian Ziegler, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. “This is my view. Other people have different views on this. I think apologizing makes you weak.”

He advised the attendees to instead make it clear that the Hitler comment was “vile” but to immediately pivot to make the point that Hitler indoctrinated children in schools and that that’s what Moms for Liberty was fighting against. Ziegler warned that any apology would become the headline, so that should be avoided.

You read that right. He said to not apologize for quoting Hitler. That’s what we’re dealing with now.

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
    8·
    1 year ago

    But also from a moral perspective if you’re going to lend support to a group that has nefarious objectives and produces harmful results, you have some responsibility for that regardless of your intentions.

    Yes. Perhaps you should withdraw your support.

    But again, I’m most upset about seeing so much support and no pushback to someone sorta kinda jokingly advocating for genocide.

    That comment is gone. I haven’t defended it. You keep defending the Hitler quote.