Nazis crashing CPAC didn't raise much fury or get a lot of media attention in the latest news cycle, and that has MSNBC Opinion Columnist Zeeshan Aleem calling it a seminal moment.
"It’s not always possible for the hosts of major political gatherings to perfectly regulate who enters them — but there are always choices on how to react when, say, Nazis arrive," he writes. "This is a critical frog-in-boiling-water moment for the right: The mainstream organs of American conservatism are apparently acclimating to Nazis in their pot. That this group was able to mingle with participants at a high-profile conference, wasn't kicked out of CPAC, and wasn't appropriately condemned is a sign of how contiguous mainstream conservatism has become with white supremacist politics today."
NBC News reported over the weekend that several unabashed Nazis attended CPAC and were given a friendly treatment from many attendees.
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The report identified a group of attendees who "openly identified as national socialists mingled with mainstream conservative personalities, including some from Turning Point USA, and discussed ‘race science’ and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
One clip showed a CPAC attendee perform a “heil Hitler” salute in the lobby of the hotel where the conference was held. And there was also accusations of some members of the group used the N-word.
CPAC denied the NBC report despite the copious evidence the network showed to back up its claims.
"In reality, CPAC stands firmly against all forms of anti-Semitism and hate while Democrats openly cheer on Hamas terrorists attacking and killing innocent Jewish populations in Israel," the organization said.
CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp, also shot back at NBC News' report.
“When we come across someone at CPAC peddling any kind of anti-Semitism, we deal with them immediately," he claimed. "Knowing this, NBC weaved together lies and fabrications to create a false perception, and we won’t stand by idly while NBC engages in willful misinformation.”
