‘Hitler was right,’ southern Illinois congresswoman tells Trump supporters

Freshman U.S. Rep. Mary Miller approvingly invoked Adolf Hitler at a gathering in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, according to video of her speech.

The Republican from Oakland in rural central Illinois was speaking about engaging youth voters at a rally on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol building when she shared a quote that she attributed to Hitler. The rally was organized by conservative activist organization Moms for America.

“I believe in a few elections, we’re still going to be losing unless we win the hearts and minds of our children. This is the battle. Hitler was right on one thing. He said, ‘Whoever has the youth has the future,’” Miller told the crowd.

Hitler wrote extensively about the importance of youth in his 1925 manifesto, Mein Kampf. Miller’s quote was a paraphrase of his original statement at a 1935 Nazi rally: “He alone who owns the youth gains the future.”

A spokeswoman for Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Margot McGowan Staebler, a 28-year-old law student from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a Democrat, captured Miller’s comments as she live-streamed the event on social media. Staebler said was visiting D.C. on a work-related trip and attended the pro-Trump rally out of curiosity.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker addressed the comments during a news briefing Wednesday in Chicago.

“I want to address the unfathomable and disgusting remarks that the newest member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation made, Mary Miller. Let me be clear: Hitler got nothing right. This reprehensible rhetoric has no place in our politics. Illinois Republicans cannot allow this to stand and must condemn this vile, evil streak in their party. If Rep. Miller was the least bit interested in history, she would visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center to learn just how wrong Hitler really was.” Pritzker said.

Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of the 16th Congressional District tweeted about Miller’s comments: “I outright condemn this garbage.”

lllinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider called on Miller to apologize.

“That language is wrong and disgusting,” Schneider said.

Republican State Rep. Tim Butler of the 87th district tweeted: “Our elected officials must not normalize, validate, or support Hitler’s memory, quotes, ideology, etc. Hitler was most certainly not ‘right.’”

At the beginning of Staebler’s video, another speaker introduces Miller. She then speaks about why she decided to run for Congress, her first role in public office.

“Faith, family and freedom is what’s made our country great. We should be unashamed to represent our values. The family is foundational to the stability of our country,” Miller said.

Miller thanked event organizers, one of which was Women for America First, a conservative activist organization for women, similar to Moms for America.

Staebler’s video was cleared by Storyful, a company that verifies video, audio and visual content.

This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 1:29 PM.

Kelsey Landis

Belleville News-Democrat

618-239-2101

Kelsey Landis is an Illinois state affairs and politics reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat. She joined the newsroom in January 2020 after her first stint at the paper from 2016 to 2018. She graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2010 and earned a master’s from DePaul University in 2014. Landis previously worked at The Alton Telegraph. At the BND, she focuses on informing you about what your lawmakers are doing in Springfield and Washington, D.C., and she works to hold them accountable. Landis has won Illinois Press Association awards for her work, including the Freedom of Information Award.