At event for Don Bolduc, Mike Flynn says “we're being marched” to Nazi death camps

Flynn claims that unlike Holocaust victims who stood there and allowed “these people to do that to them,” he “would have rather attacked that machine gun nest”

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

During an event for Republican Senate nominee Don Bolduc last year, right-wing commentator Mike Flynn claimed that “we're being marched” to Nazi death camps and said that unlike Holocaust victims, he “would never get on that train.”

Flynn said at the event with Bolduc: “Jesus, how could somebody stand there and just allow these people to do that to them? And then knowing what they knew, how could they get on that train? I would have rather attacked that machine gun nest. Knowing what I know today, I would never get on that train.” 

Bolduc won the September 13 New Hampshire Republican primary and is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. He is a retired United States Army brigadier general who has repeatedly appeared on Fox News. Bolduc has a history of extremism, including falsely claiming that the 2020 election was stolen. 

Bolduc has relied on right-wing media personalities, including Steve Bannon and John Fredericks, for support. He also recruited Flynn, the disgraced retired U.S. Army lieutenant general who worked as Trump’s national security adviser. In November 2020, Trump pardoned him after he twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation. 

Flynn has been a right-wing commentator, Republican official, and speaker for far-right causes. The Associated Press and Frontline recently investigated Flynn’s activities and found that he has been trying to build “a movement centered on Christian nationalist ideas“ and “has drawn together election deniers, mask and vaccine opponents, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, and elected officials and leaders in state and local Republican parties.” 

Flynn has a history of making incendiary remarks, including calling for a Myanmar-style coup in the United States (he denied pushing for one); encouraging Trump to call for martial law to redo the 2020 election; and tweeting that “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.” He has also supported the QAnon movement by, among other things, taking the QAnon oath; speaking at a QAnon conference; and associating with QAnon influencers. 

He has also promoted antisemitism: In 2016, he shared a tweet that read “Not anymore, Jews. Not anymore.” (He later apologized.) 

On October 6, 2021, Bolduc hosted Flynn for a campaign “meet and greet” where he told the audience that “the presidency of the United States of America was stolen. This nation, our nation, experienced a coup.”

From an October 6, 2021, speech at a Don Bolduc event

Flynn compared Republicans to Holocaust victims being marched to Nazi death camps, stating: “We're being marched onto that train.” 

He then told a story about visiting Nazi death camps and seeing a machine gun at the end of the station and criticized prisoners: “Jesus, how could somebody stand there and just allow these people to do that to them? And then knowing what they knew, how could they get on that train? I would have rather attacked that machine gun nest. Knowing what I know today, I would never get on that train.” 

MIKE FLYNN: On one end of the train station is a machine gun. And on the other end is a machine gun. And they got guards all along these points. Most of those people over time knew that they were going to their death after a while. Some just thought that they were going to labor camps or, you know, prisoner of war camps at the beginning. But over time, they knew they were going to get on that train and they were probably going to go to their death. They didn't really know, you know, they just heard all the rumors, right? Because this went on for a number of years. Well, we now know. We now know. I know, because I walked that line just to get a feel for — you know, each station you did this. I'm like, Jesus, how could somebody stand there and just allow these people to do that to them? And then knowing what they knew, how could they get on that train? I would have rather attacked that machine gun nest. Knowing what I know today, I would never get on that train. I will never get on that train. I will attack that machine gun nest before I get on that train because I know I'm not going to go — I'm not going to go to my death that way, their way. I’ll go to my death my way. So — 

[APPLAUSE] 

Well, I mean, I tell you that, I give you that as a metaphor, because we're all on this train right now, or we're about to get on it, because we're doing nothing. We're doing nothing. Now I say that maybe some of you are involved. I'm just saying most Americans are doing nothing. Three percent of this country fought in the Revolutionary War, 3% or 4 million people. Three percent. So don't don't sit around and do nothing, because I don't know the answer. Well, I don't know. But I do know that the solution is for people to stand up and speak up and get involved in their communities. That's what I — I firmly believe that. Firmly believe it. 

Bolduc did not refute or distance himself from Flynn’s remarks at the event. The conservative Right America Media posted video of the event. 

Bolduc apparently paid Flynn for the campaign support. The Daily Beast reported in February of this year that “last October, Flynn endorsed GOP New Hampshire Senate aspirant Don Bolduc while headlining a Bolduc fundraiser. Federal filings show that a week later, the campaign paid Flynn’s company, Resilient Patriot LLC, a $5,209 ‘event speaking fee.’”

Numerous Republicans in competitive races have embraced Flynn’s endorsement, including Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt; Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake; and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.