Thread: Trump Supporter Who Made Nazi Salute Explains Why She Made the Gesture

Trump Supporter Who Made Nazi Salute Explains Why She Made the Gesture

The photo, taken outside the arena where Donald J. Trump’s appearance had just been canceled on Friday in Chicago, circulated far and wide: A woman in a Donald Trump T-shirt, eyes locked with a protester, her right arm raised skyward, her palm faced down.
It did not take a second glance to understand that she was making a Nazi salute. Many took the photo, published by The Chicago Tribune, as a sign of the support Mr. Trump has engendered from extremists. Others surmised that it was maybe a Bernie Sanders supporter in disguise.
But in an interview on Saturday from her home in Yorkville, Ill., Birgitt Peterson, 69, who says she was the woman in the photo, explained why she had made the salute.
She and her husband, Don, had attended the rally to check out the candidate in person. “The Republican Party needs to be broken up, and I believe Donald Trump is the one to do it,” Ms. Peterson said.
After the rally was canceled, the Petersons found themselves in the middle of a group of protesters, some of whom they described as “rude.” One was holding a poster with a picture of Adolf Hitler on it.
Ms. Peterson, who was born in West Berlin in 1946 and became an American citizen in 1982, said she took offense to the comparison of Mr. Trump to Hitler.
“They said Trump is a second Hitler,” Ms. Peterson said. “I said do you know what that sign stands for? Do you know who Hitler really was?”
“I make the point that they are demonstrating something they had no knowledge about,” she said. “If you want to do it right, you do it right. You don’t know what you are doing.”
That is when she made the Nazi salute — a gesture that is banned in Germany — as a form of counterprotest. But that is all it was, she said.
“Absolutely I’m not a Nazi, no,” she said. “I’m not one of those.”
The couple said they had not yet seen the photo, but they had received calls from family members about it.
Social media on Saturday was inundated with people sharing the photo, as well as the account of Michael Joseph Garza, who said he was the protester in the frame. Mr. Garza, in a Facebook post, said he had attempted to help the couple leave as some in the crowd grew hostile.
“I start to clear the path. I walk right up to her and say, ‘Ma’am we have listened to you. We understand this is all a little wild, but we have cleared a path for you to leave.'”
“My right hand was constantly swinging in motion, showing her the path out we made for her,” Mr. Garza wrote. “She goes, and I quote, ‘Go? Back in my day, you know what we did.'”
Mr. Peterson said the couple was upset by the accusations. “It’s insulting for anyone to assume that we have anything to do with Nazis,” he said. “We have never done anything other than demonstrate to a bunch of idiots that when they talk about Nazism, they better learn about it first.”
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7:56 pm ET 7:56 pm ET By Maggie Haberman

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William Daley of Chicago Political Clan Wonders About Donald Trump’s Choice of Venues

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Supporters of Donald J. Trump and protesters clashed at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion on Friday.Credit Joshua Lott for The New York Times
William M. Daley, a scion of the storied Daley political clan of Illinois, said he was not surprised that protests against Donald J. Trump before his Chicago rally got so out of hand that Mr. Trump canceled it before even taking the stage.
And Mr. Daley wondered why the venue was selected in the first place.
Mr. Daley, a former chief of staff to President Obama and a son of the late Richard J. Daley, the longtime mayor of Chicago, pointed out in an interview on Saturday that the University of Illinois at Chicago, where the rally was to be held, has one of the most diverse student bodies of any university in the country.
It has 17,000 undergraduate students, many of whom come from low-income families. Roughly a quarter are Hispanic, 8 percent are black and 25 percent are Asian. Mr. Daley’s father, who was mayor during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that was marred by violence, had championed the creation of the campus.
Mr. Daley wondered aloud whether the Trump campaign had picked the site to provoke a reaction. “Whoever picked that location knew what they were doing as far as poking that sleeping dog there,” Mr. Daley said.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Trump did not respond to questions about Mr. Daley’s thoughts on the location. It was not the first school that Mr. Trump has chosen for a rally; he has held others at colleges and universities over many months.
But Chicago has a history of racial clashes and protests, Mr. Daley pointed out. There has been deep distrust between black residents and the police after a video released last year showed Laquan McDonald, a black teenager, being shot 16 times by a police officer.
If anything, Mr. Daley said, it should have occurred to Mr. Trump’s campaign that the venue could be a crucible for problems.
Mr. Trump abruptly canceled his rally on Friday night, citing concerns of the Chicago Police Department. Officials with the Police Department denied having given such advice, saying the campaign chose to do it. But for days, it had been reported in the news media and on social media that thousands of people were signing petitions against Mr. Trump’s appearance and planning major disruptions of his speech.
Mr. Trump’s allies suggest he has been treated unfairly by protesters who have gone to his rallies with the intention of stopping him from speaking and creating scenarios in which there could be violent clashes.
Mr. Daley’s view is different. He argued that many people are contributing to what is taking place, chief among them Mr. Trump.
“I don’t think he’s trying to fuel the people that don’t agree with him; he’s trying to fuel the people that agree with him,” Mr. Daley said. “You can’t do that in a vacuum.”

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/firs...smtyp=cur&_r=0

SPRINGTIME FOR PUNDITS

March 9, 2016

If you're into self-dramatization, Donald Trump’s candidacy is perfect for you.


Half of the Washington political class is vowing to vote for Hillary -- even Stalin! -- over Trump; psychologists (and massage therapists) report they are treating patients for "Trump anxiety"; lengthy thought-pieces on Trump have no room to mention his signature issue, immigration, but get prolix on George Wallace, Mussolini and Hitler. (Never Mao, Stalin or Lenin, curiously.)


You're going to have to act quickly if you hope to be among the first 200 princesses to feel the pea under 15 layers of mattresses.


To save you time, I will provide the prototype. Do not be surprised if the following turns up, word for word, under the byline of David Brooks, Stephen Hayes, Cokie Roberts, every single writer for Salon, Gawker, National Review, Commentary and The Huffington Post. And then, of course, Fareed Zakaria will steal it.


** ** **


"J'accuse Donald Trump”


Watching the candidacy of Donald Trump, I am continually struck by his resemblance to a man who came to power in a far-off land nearly 85 years ago, a historical epic that I had naively hoped was well buried in the past.


Consider the following:


-- Adolf Hitler held gigantic rallies, where he inspired millions with rousing speeches. Donald Trump holds gigantic rallies, where he inspires millions with rousing speeches.


-- Adolf Hitler talked about making his country great again. Donald Trump talks about making his country great again.


-- Adolf Hitler promised military victories. Donald Trump promises military victories.


-- Adolf Hitler had a loyal and overweight henchman, Hermann Goering. Donald Trump has a loyal and overweight henchman, Chris Christie.


-- Adolf Hitler blamed a specific group of immigrants for all the nation's problems (Ed: Jews weren't immigrants -- Close enough!). Donald Trump blames a specific group of immigrants for all the nation's problems.



-- Adolf Hitler vowed to build a wall (Ed: Wait a minute -- when did Hitler talk about a wall? Shhhh! Nevermind!) Donald Trump vows to build a wall.


-- Adolf Hitler was a teetotaler. Donald Trump is a teetotaler.


-- Adolf Hitler had a hobby that he enjoyed very much (painting). Donald Trump has a hobby that he enjoys very much (golf).


-- Adolf Hitler had an opulent home in the city as well as a country home, "The Berghof" in Berchtesgaden. Donald Trump has an opulent home in the city as well as a country home, "Mar-a-Lago" in Palm Beach.


-- Adolf Hitler was involved with a woman from Central Europe, Eva Braun. Donald Trump is married to a woman from Central Europe, Melania Knauss.


-- Adolf Hitler had a pact with the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1941; Donald Trump said nice things about Russian president Vladimir Putin.


-- Adolf Hitler required all non-Jewish, German civilians to greet one another with a rigid right-arm salute, while exclaiming "Heil!" or "Heil Hitler!" Donald Trump has asked audiences to promise to vote for him by raising their hands, which is the PRECISELY same thing.


-- Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian; Donald Trump has never smoked.


-- Adolf Hitler forcibly annexed Czechoslovakia. Donald Trump tried to merge two casinos in Atlantic City.


-- Adolf Hitler invested hundreds of millions of dollars on German aviation to upgrade the Luftwaffe. Donald Trump has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in private jets.


-- Adolf Hitler never had any children, but if he had, they would probably have been blond. Both of Donald Trump's daughters are blond.


-- Adolf Hitler's favorite food was liver dumplings, a dish very similar to meatloaf. (Ed.: They're not remotely similar. No one knows that.) Donald Trump's favorite food is meatloaf.


-- Adolf Hitler had light hair and a moustache. Donald Trump has light hair and a moustache. (This has not been definitively established, but some who knew Trump in the 1970s recall that he had a moustache, albeit a fuller, longer one.)


-- One of Adolf Hitler's idols was World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, also known as "the Red Baron." Donald Trump's son is named Barron. (It's spelled differently, but sounds the same.)


-- Adolf Hitler liked Eva Braun because she was very attractive; Donald Trump's wife, Melania, is very attractive.


-- Adolf Hitler vowed to exterminate entire races; Donald Trump has vowed to exterminate ALL Mexicans and Central Americans. (Mr. Trump has yet to call for this, but if he had, it would be an amazing parallel and speak very ill of his character.)


-- One of Adolf Hitler's favorite desserts, not his No. 1 favorite, but one he enjoyed several times a year, was chocolate ice cream. Donald Trump has talked about formerly liking Oreos. (Recently, he vowed never to eat Oreos again because Nabisco moved its factories to Mexico. This does not negate his previous position on the cookie.)


-- Adolf Hitler was known for erecting concentration camps – surrounded by walls to keep people out, particularly Mexicans. (Ed: That's not true.) Donald Trump wants to build a wall.


-- Allowing Adolf Hitler to come to power was a horrible mistake for an entire nation; allowing Donald Trump to come to power will be a horrible mistake for an entire nation.


In conclusion, [dramatic music plays] I have covered American politics for 30 years. For the first time in my life I am afraid for my country. Very afraid. Very, very afraid. Very, very, very afraid.




http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/20...html#read_more

I have some more uncanny similarities that prove beyond any doubt whatsoever that Donald Trump is just like Hitler:

• Hitler breathed air - so does Trump.
• Hitler ate food - so does Trump.
• Hitler wore clothes - so does Trump.
• Hitler walked on two legs - so does Trump.
• Hitler slept at night when tired - so does Trump.
• Hitler had two eyes - so does Trump.

I could go on and on. It's obvious to anyone (who is a complete moron) that Trump is EXACTLY like Hitler.

well it is always better idea then to make a chimpanzee dance floor

Protesters clash with Donald Trump supporters at a rally for the Republican presidential front-runner.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...313-story.html

Trump supporter outside UICE. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

Donald Trump supporter Birgitt Peterson, center, of Yorkville, argues with protesters on March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...313-story.html