Politics

Ousted GOP Chairwoman Liz Cheney calls Marjorie Taylor Greene's statement comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust 'evil lunacy'

Liz Cheney
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in Washington AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
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Ousted GOP chairwoman Liz Cheney called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene comments equating mask mandates to the Holocaust "evil lunacy."

In an interview with the far-right network Real America's Voice on Thursday, Greene called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "mentally ill' for enforcing a mask mandate and compared the mask requirements to the Holocaust.

"You know, we can look back in a time in history where people were told to wear a gold star and they were definitely treated like second-class citizens, so much so that they were put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany," Greene said. "And this is exactly the type of abuse that Nancy Pelosi is talking about."

Cheney, who was ousted as chair of the House Republican Conference earlier this month following backlash from her own party over her vote to impeach President Donald Trump over the Capitol riot in January, tweeted on Saturday "This is evil lunacy," alongside a clip of Greene's appearance. 

Other lawmakers, including those who are Jewish, have also criticized Greene's comments. 

Democratic Rep. David Cicilline called Greene "a troubled person who is unfit to serve in Congress."

"The Holocaust: The systematic murder of 6 million Jews. Mask-wearing: A simple act that costs you nothing and saves lives," Cicilline said in a tweet.

 

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Sarah Al-Arshani is a breaking news reporter for Insider. Before joining Insider, Sarah was an editorial intern with The Jordan Times. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2019. Her work has also been published in local newspapers in Connecticut such as the Republican-American newspaper and Willimantic Chronicle. She can be reached by email at salarshani@bjinnox.com or on Twitter @s_arshani. Popular articles  Trump signed a law to punish China for its oppression of the Uighur Muslims. Uighurs say much more needs to be done.  Travel nurses say the current healthcare system is 'unsustainable' as COVID-19 infections surge again. Some say the pay is the only thing keeping them on the front lines. Healthcare workers say some COVID-19 patients and their families are demanding unapproved therapies A lawyer filed more than 100 lawsuits over vanilla flavoring in foods and drinks, arguing most of it is fake While the world focuses on the coronavirus, people in China with other illnesses may pay a price long after the outbreak ends