Latest news with #EricLendrum
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DHS speechwriter linked to hateful social accounts while claiming American conservatives are ostracized like Jews in Nazi Germany
A speechwriter at the Department of Homeland Security has been linked to hateful posts on social media, reportedly claiming that American conservatives are ostracized like the Jews were in Nazi Germany. A blog post reportedly authored by Eric Lendrum celebrated the January 6 insurrection and compared the following fallout for conservatives to the Holocaust and slavery, Notus reported. 'American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany,' he claimed in a 2021 blog post on American Greatness, a rightwing opinion and news site. Lendrum posted on the site until March of this year. His podcast, The Right Take, is listed in the author's description on the site. On one episode of the podcast, he said he liked watching videos of scared legislators during the Jan 6 insurrection. 'There's something so gratifying about seeing the images of these members of Congress — especially the Democrats — crouching under their chairs, putting on those stupid, like, bubble masks, those anti-gas bubble masks, and then taking selfies,' a laughing Lendrum said just days after the Capitol riot. In another episode, published in October 2022, Lendrum said immigrants put Europe at risk, while also backing the 'great replacement theory.' The far-right theory claims that nonwhite immigrants are damaging the influence of white people. 'Given the direction of Europe right now, we could use a far-right government at this point,' said Lendrum. On X, the account @realEricLendrum has argued for the removal of transgender 'ideology' and compared asylum seekers to 'scum.' In another podcast episode, Lendrum referenced his brief period as a press assistant at the Interior Department during the first Trump administration, saying that he would only return to government if he could be closer to the president. 'If I could work more closely with him, that is the one case in which I would ever go back into government work,' said Lendrum, whose online profile was first reported by Notus. 'Government work is not fun.' The Independent has attempted to reach Lendrum for comment. The DHS Office of Public Affairs states that a speechwriter at the department is responsible for preparing 'speeches, talking points, editorials, Congressional testimony, video scripts, web content, and other written content for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.' The department ranks as the largest federal law enforcement agency. In one of the blog posts linked to Lendrum, he appeared to argue that conservatives were facing political oppression similar to that of slaves and victims of the Holocaust. 'It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance. It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now,' the blog post stated. Responding to questions from The Independent, DHS shared a link to the text of the First Amendment. The X account linked to Lendrum argued that the U.S. should treat immigrants as an 'invading army.' 'They are not migrants. They are not 'undocumented.' They are an invading army. The largest invasion in American history,' one post stated in May 2023. 'And what are you supposed to do with an invading army? Crush it, by any means necessary. That's the #AmericaFirst way.' Also in the blog post about January 6, the author said, 'The Democrats were absolutely terrified — literally cowering under their seats, horrified at the prospect of mere peasants walking through the halls of their castle.' The lawmakers, including Republicans, were escorted by Capitol Police through the Capitol complex. 'The truth is that they are grateful the events of that day unfolded as they did,' the post argued regarding the Democrats. In a podcast episode published in April 2023, he said he would 'always properly deadname t***** freaks.' 'I will keep calling them t******* because I know it's derogatory, and I know they freakin' hate it. That's why I deadname them. That's why I use their original pronouns,' he said. 'You control the language. Don't give these freaks an inch on the language.' 'We need to eradicate transgenderism. Wipe it off the face of the Earth. Destroy it. Get rid of it,' he added. 'As a disclaimer, I'm not saying to wipe the people out. I'm not saying get rid of the people. I'm saying eliminate the ideology. Cure these people.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump administration speechwriter linked to hate speech online
A speechwriter for the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has come under scrutiny after he was linked to hate speech online. Eric Lendrum compared the circumstances of American conservatives to that of enslaved people and Jewish people in Nazi Germany, and in his podcast claimed that the racist great replacement conspiracy theory was 'real', the news outlet Notus reported. Notus reported that Lendrum began working at the DHS, which is headed by Kristi Noem, in March this year, after previously working at the Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. The DHS has been at the forefront of Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigration during his second presidency. In the gap between his government roles, Lendrum was a frequent online presence, hosting a podcast, posting on X and Telegram, and writing a blog on the website American Greatness. In one post from December 2021, Lendrum defended people who participated in the January 6 insurrection, claiming they faced 'persecution for their patriotism'. 'It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance,' Lendrum wrote. 'It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now. 'Actress Gina Carano [who likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the US political climate] was right; American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany.' Lendrum also expressed extremist views on his podcast, claiming in October 2022 that the great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy narrative that falsely asserts there is an active, ongoing and covert effort to replace white populations in current white-majority countries, was 'already being put into effect in some European cities'. Notus and the Daily Beast found hateful posts on an X account which belongs to Lendrum. In one post from 2023 he shared a video of thousands of people protesting against Israel's war on Gaza, and wrote: 'Cars are bigger and heavier than any one of these freaks. All it takes is one brave driver to do what needs to be done, then others will follow.' The Daily Beast reported that the same account repeatedly posted anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, calling transgender people 'child molesters' and referring to 'LGBTQ freaks'. The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When reached by Notus, the department responded by sending a link to the first amendment, which protects free speech.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump administration speechwriter linked to hate speech online
A speechwriter for the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has come under scrutiny after he was linked to hate speech online. Eric Lendrum compared the circumstances of American conservatives to that of enslaved people and Jewish people in Nazi Germany, and in his podcast claimed that the racist great replacement conspiracy theory was 'real', the news outlet Notus reported. Notus reported that Lendrum began working at the DHS, which is headed by Kristi Noem, in March this year, after previously working at the Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. The DHS has been at the forefront of Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigration during his second presidency. In the gap between his government roles, Lendrum was a frequent online presence, hosting a podcast, posting on X and Telegram, and writing a blog on the website American Greatness. In one post from December 2021, Lendrum defended people who participated in the January 6 insurrection, claiming they faced 'persecution for their patriotism'. 'It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance,' Lendrum wrote. 'It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now. 'Actress Gina Carano [who likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the US political climate] was right; American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany.' Lendrum also expressed extremist views on his podcast, claiming in October 2022 that the great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy narrative that falsely asserts there is an active, ongoing and covert effort to replace white populations in current white-majority countries, was 'already being put into effect in some European cities'. Notus and the Daily Beast found hateful posts on an X account which belongs to Lendrum. In one post from 2023 he shared a video of thousands of people protesting against Israel's war on Gaza, and wrote: 'Cars are bigger and heavier than any one of these freaks. All it takes is one brave driver to do what needs to be done, then others will follow.' The Daily Beast reported that the same account repeatedly posted anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, referring to transgender people as 'child molesters' and referring to 'LGBTQ freaks'. The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When reached by Notus, the department responded by sending a link to the first amendment, which protects free speech.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
DHS speechwriter linked to hateful social accounts while claiming American conservatives are ostracized like Jews in Nazi Germany
A speechwriter at the Department of Homeland Security has been linked to hateful posts on social media, reportedly claiming that American conservatives are ostracized like the Jews were in Nazi Germany. A blog post reportedly authored by Eric Lendrum celebrated the January 6 insurrection and compared the following fallout for conservatives to the Holocaust and slavery, Notus reported. 'American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany,' he claimed in a 2021 blog post on American Greatness, a rightwing opinion and news site. Lendrum posted on the site until March of this year. His podcast, The Right Take, is listed in the author's description on the site. On one episode of the podcast, he said he liked watching videos of scared legislators during the Jan 6 insurrection. 'There's something so gratifying about seeing the images of these members of Congress — especially the Democrats — crouching under their chairs, putting on those stupid, like, bubble masks, those anti-gas bubble masks, and then taking selfies,' a laughing Lendrum said just days after the Capitol riot. In another episode, published in October 2022, Lendrum said immigrants put Europe at risk, while also backing the 'great replacement theory.' The far-right theory claims that nonwhite immigrants are damaging the influence of white people. 'Given the direction of Europe right now, we could use a far-right government at this point,' said Lendrum. On X, the account @realEricLendrum has argued for the removal of transgender 'ideology' and compared asylum seekers to 'scum.' In another podcast episode, Lendrum referenced his brief period as a press assistant at the Interior Department during the first Trump administration, saying that he would only return to government if he could be closer to the president. 'If I could work more closely with him, that is the one case in which I would ever go back into government work,' said Lendrum, whose online profile was first report by Notus. 'Government work is not fun.' The Independent has attempted to reach Lendrum for comment. The DHS Office of Public Affairs states that a speechwriter at the department is responsible for preparing 'speeches, talking points, editorials, Congressional testimony, video scripts, web content, and other written content for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.' The department ranks as the largest federal law enforcement agency. In one of the blog posts linked to Lendrum, he appeared to argue that conservatives were facing political oppression similar to that of slaves and victims of the Holocaust. 'It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance. It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now,' the blog post stated. Responding to questions from Notus, DHS shared a link to the text of the First Amendment. The Independent has contacted DHS for comment. The X account linked to Lendrum argued that the U.S. should treat immigrants as an 'invading army.' 'They are not migrants. They are not 'undocumented.' They are an invading army. The largest invasion in American history,' one post stated in May 2023. 'And what are you supposed to do with an invading army? Crush it, by any means necessary. That's the #AmericaFirst way.' Also in the blog post about January 6, the author said, 'The Democrats were absolutely terrified — literally cowering under their seats, horrified at the prospect of mere peasants walking through the halls of their castle.' The lawmakers, including Republicans, were escorted by Capitol Police through the Capitol complex. 'The truth is that they are grateful the events of that day unfolded as they did,' the post argued regarding the Democrats. In a podcast episode published in April 2023, he said he would 'always properly deadname t***** freaks.' 'I will keep calling them t******* because I know it's derogatory, and I know they freakin' hate it. That's why I deadname them. That's why I use their original pronouns,' he said. 'You control the language. Don't give these freaks an inch on the language.' 'We need to eradicate transgenderism. Wipe it off the face of the Earth. Destroy it. Get rid of it,' he added. 'As a disclaimer, I'm not saying to wipe the people out. I'm not saying get rid of the people. I'm saying eliminate the ideology. Cure these people.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kristi Noem stands by staffer under fire for eyebrow-raising posts likening conservative struggles to slavery
The Department of Homeland Security is defending the First Amendment rights of a staffer who has come under fire for posts and political commentary related to the Capitol riot. Before joining DHS, Eric Lendrum likened the political fallout conservatives faced from the January 6, 2021 rally to slavery and the Holocaust. He slammed Democrats for 'cowering' under their desks as thousands of angry Americans descended on the Capitol that day. 'There's something so gratifying about seeing the images of these members of Congress — especially the Democrats — crouching under their chairs, putting on those stupid, like, bubble masks, those anti-gas bubble masks, and then taking selfies,' Lendrum said on an episode of his podcast The Right Take just days after the riot. He also said in a 2021 blog post on the conservative website American Greatness: 'American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany.' The junior-level speechwriter at DHS also shared anti-immigrant rhetoric on multiple platforms before joining the second Donald Trump administration. In an October 2022 podcast episode, he endorsed the far-right 'great replacement theory,' which is a belief that nonwhite immigrants are diminishing the influence of white people across the world. While a spokesperson for DHS declined to comment on the social media activity of a junior staffer before joining the agency, they instead sent the Daily Mail a link to the text of the First Amendment of the Constitution when asked for comment. Lnedrum did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on the reports detailing his online activity. Lendrum published on American Greatness until March 2025. In his post-riot rant in 2021, he said conservative Americans are facing oppression like that faced by enslaved black people in America and Holocaust victims. 'It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance. It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now,' he wrote. Lendrum has a relatively low profile, his employer and previous social media activity was first reported by NOTUS on Monday. The last time Lendrum posted to his X account was on the president's birthday on June 14 this year when he published an image of himself alongside Trump. Lendrum has only 449 followers on X as of time of publication and appears to mostly use it recently to repost messages from Trump cabinet officials and allies. But he has used his X account in the past to share anti-immigrant sentiments. He expressed lament with a New York Post headline saying that veterans were kicked out of hotels to make way for providing shelter to illegal 'migrants' during President Joe Biden's term. 'They are not migrants. They are not 'undocumented.' They are an invading army. The largest invasion in American history,' Lendrum wrote on May 13, 2023 in a post to X. He added: 'And what are you supposed to do with an invading army? Crush it, by any means necessary.' Lendrum also claimed that asylum seekers are 'scum.' Lendrum worked as press assistant at the Department of the Interior during President Trump's first term and said in an October 2022 interview (pictured) that he would only go back into government if it were for Trump In a May 2023 post to X, Lendrum said illegal immigrants shouldn't be classified as 'migrants' because they are an 'invading army' that needs to be 'crushed' Before joining DHS, Lendrum also had a short stint as a press assistant at the Department of the Interior during Trump's first term. 'If I could work more closely with him, that is the one case in which I would ever go back into government work. Government work is not fun,' Lendrum said in December 2022. And now, he's back in Washington, D.C. for Trump's second term working for one of the largest and most influential agencies in the federal government. A DHS speechwriter is responsible for preparing a myriad of public content for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her deputy. This includes 'speeches, talking points, editorials, Congressional testimony, video scripts, web content and other written content,' according to a description of the job.
