Sinead Butler
Sep 24, 2022
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Hillary Clinton compared Donald Trump's political rally in Ohio last week to the speeches of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
When interviewed onstage at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, the former Democrat presidential candidate didn't hold back in her criticism of the former US president.
Last week, Trump spoke at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, where footage from the event showed his supporters raising their right arms upward with their index finger raised in a QAnon salute that is in reference to the political conspiracy theory group's slogan: "Where We Go One We Go All."
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This led to concerns being expressed online as people drew comparisons to the "Sieg Heil," another infamous political salute involving raising your right arm used by the Nazis.
Clinton recalled being a young student, learning about how Hitler was initially a popular political figure.
"I remember as a young student, you know, trying to figure out how people get basically brought in by Hitler. How did that happen?” Clinton questioned.
"I’d watch newsreels and I’d see this guy standing up there ranting and raving, and people shouting and raising their arms. I thought, ‘What’s happened to these people?’"she explained.
\u201c\u201cYou have these rows of young men with their arms raised.\u201d Hillary Clinton compares Trump rally to how Nazis were drawn to Hitler.\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1663976171
The former secretary of state in the Barack Obama administration then pointedly referred to the Trump rally where the crowd gave the QAnon finger salute.
"You saw the rally in Ohio the other night,” Clinton said. "Trump is there ranting and raving for more than an hour, and you have these rows of young men with their arms raised. What is going on?"
"I think it is fair to say we’re in a struggle between democracy and autocracy," she added.
Elsewhere, Trump spoke at the rally in North Carolina last night (September 23), and his supporters raised their right arms to put up their index fingers.
\u201cWhen the crowd holds up their fingers again at the Trump rally tonight to give the QAnon sign, security moves through them and has them put it down.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1663984595
However, it seems they were thwarted in their attempt to give the QAnon sign as security appeared to stop them and have them put their arms down.
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