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Week in Review: Scott Jensen Triples Down, Has “No Regrets” Over Antisemitic Comments

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Despite intense criticism from Minnesotans and Jewish leaders, Scott Jensen is wrapping up his week by tripling down on his antisemitic comments comparing COVID public health policies to the rise of Nazi Germany, calling them “a legitimate comparison” and saying he has “no regrets.”

Jensen has faced increasing criticism over his disgusting comments since they were first reported on earlier this week. Instead of apologizing, Jensen spent the entire week defending and reiterating his unacceptable rhetoric.

Here’s what people are saying about Jensen’s dangerous antisemitic comments:

  • Star Tribune: “Minnesota Republican candidate for governor Scott Jensen continues to stir controversy over recent comments likening mask mandates to measures in Nazi Germany, defending those remarks twice this week and drawing criticism from Democratic elected officials and some Jewish groups.”
  • CBS News: “Walz said such casual Holocaust comparisons, especially in today’s charged political environment, are unacceptable. A stream of Jewish community leaders have also said Jensen was offensive and distorted history by minimizing the Holocaust.”
  • Jewish Community Relations Council’s Ethan Roberts: “Generally speaking, no one should ever compare things to the Holocaust unless we’re talking about genocide. Full stop. Such comparisons are inflammatory. They’re deeply, deeply historically inaccurate.”
  • KARE 11: “On Wednesday, KARE 11 spoke with Jensen as he left the grand opening of a new Somali Community Center in Minneapolis. He maintained there are ‘subtle lessons’ from the 1930s that ‘match up’ with those learned during the beginning phases of COVID.”
  • Minnesota News Network: “We asked Jensen at the State Fair if he has any regrets about his original statement: ‘Oh, I’m sure I probably could have chose different words, but no regrets.’”
  • Haaretz: “Leading Holocaust experts told Haaretz earlier this year that such comparisons have no place in the public discourse, calling them a threat to Holocaust education and enabling the spread of antisemitism.”
  • Forward: “Scott Jensen, the Minnesota Republican nominee for governor, who invoked Kristallnacht and Hitler at a recent anti-mask mandate rally, also spoke at the RJC candidate forum for statewide and congressional candidates, via video, doubling down on his Holocaust analogy.”

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