CNN contributor and liberal intellectual Reza Aslan is calling for the “eradication” of Trump supporters. In a series of aggressive tweets directed toward the President and those who voted for him, Aslan remarked – in response to the mass shooting in El Paso – that President Donald Trump “is a white nationalist terror leader.”
Arguing that there was “no longer any room for nuance” – words that are remarkably similar to Dayton shooter Connor Betts’ calls for violence on Twitter – Reza openly called for the genocide of Trump supporters.
“The President is a white nationalist terror leader. His supporters – ALL OF THEM – are by definition white nationalist terror supporters. The MAGA hat is a KKK hood. And his evil, racist scourge must be eradicated from society.”
In the same series of tweets, Aslan called Kellyanne Conway ""'the depraved evil’” we need to eradicate,” following her remarks that America needed to come together in the wake of the mass shooting. The CNN contributor took her call for the eradication of hate and turned it upon her with a call for the eradication of a group of people – Trump supporters – of which Conway is a part.
Aslan also slammed Ivanka Trump’s denouncement of white supremacist ideology, referring her and her entirely family as “white supremacist” despite the Jewish heritage of Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner and their extended family.
Armed with dehumanizing language, Aslan’s call for the “eradication” of the Left’s political opponents and his characterization of Trump supporters as an “evil, racist scourge” is rooted in the language of Holocaust proponents and other architects of 20th-century genocide.
The term “eradicate,” when used in the context of groups of people, is a call for genocide. An early intelligence record on Hitler’s “Final Solution” was declassified in 2001 under the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act, which contains statements by Axis diplomats referring to a plan for the “eradication” of Jews in Europe.
“The Jewish problem is being partially solved in the Protectorate [Reich Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia], as it has been decided to eradicate all the Jews and send some to Poland and others to the town of Terezin, whilst looking for a more remote place,” reads an official Nazi dispatch to the Chilean government.
In reference to genocide, identical language is used by historians, journalists, and human rights organizations.
According to a 2007 Clark University study on the deconstruction of hate speech, “Dehumanization is a frequent element of hate speech, and is used to vilify the target. It also has the effect of disinhibiting violence. Thus, dehumanizing descriptions of individuals and groups are an alarming signal of hate speech and the danger of future violence, and its early detection is crucial.”
Reza’s call for the “eradication” of Trump supporters isn’t limited to President Trump and his cabinet. He also made calls for violence against the Covington Catholic High School boys in January.
“Honest question. Have you seen a more punchable face than this kid’s?” Aslan asked. The tweet received over 23,000 “likes” from his supporters. Tweets like Aslan’s set off a firestorm of hatred against the high school boys, including threats directed towards the school and the boys’ lawyer, Robert Barnes.
The tweet remains online.
According to Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra, a Twitter official stated that Aslan’s call to “eradicate” Kellyanne Conway does not violate their policies.
Ian Miles Cheong is the managing editor of Human Events.