Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted a quote from a neo-Nazi on Twitter on Sunday and incorrectly attributed it to Voltaire in an effort to attack National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci.
It’s not clear if Massie knew the true origin of the quote when he posted it. However, it was quickly pointed out on social media that the quote was not, as the image suggested, from Voltaire but rather from Kevin Alfred Strom, a notorious neo-Nazi who was convicted on child porn charges in 2008.
Others have also mistakenly shared the quote, including actor and progressive activist John Cusack, who apologized for doing so in 2019.
As of early Monday, Massie’s message remained on the site.
A growing number of Republican lawmakers have openly embraced white supremacist and/or anti-Semitic viewpoints, including Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.),who has repeatedly been linked to white nationalists, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has spouted racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories as well as violent rhetoric. Both have been stripped of their committee assignments as a result.
