Hannity Clings To Falsehood That Tea Parties Did Not Employ Nazi Imagery

On his Fox News show, Sean Hannity attacked Wisconsin protesters for carrying signs “comparing [Governor] Scott Walker to Adolf Hitler” and claimed that “the tea party movement was accused of” Nazi imagery “but there was no evidence” to support the claim. In fact, Nazi imagery has appeared at multiple tea party protests, and Hannity himself has invoked Nazis to attack Democrats.

Hannity Claims There Was “No Evidence” Of Nazi Imagery At Tea Party Protests

Hannity: “The Tea Party Movement Was Accused Of” Nazi Imagery “But There Was No Evidence That They Could Bring To The Table.” From the February 23 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

HANNITY: I want you to examine -- I'm going to put up on the screen some of the protesters' signs. They've been comparing Scott Walker to Adolf Hitler and Mussolini and he's got, you know, lock and reload and basically, you know, you could see a lot of it there. We've talked about this. When -- you could see a Nazi sign in that particular picture with an Adolf Hitler mustache on Scott Walker. My question is, the tea party movement was accused of these things but there was no evidence that they could bring to the table. Now here's all this evidence and the media is virtually silent on this. [Fox News' Hannity, 2/23/11]

Nazi Imagery Has Appeared At Tea Party Protests

FoxNews.com: “Swastikas, As Well As Pictures Of Obama's Face Next To Adolf Hitler's, Have Appeared On Signs At Dozens Of” Tea Party Protests. Fox News itself has reported on Nazi imagery at tea party events. An April 11, 2010, FoxNews.com article reported: “Going further, swastikas, as well as pictures of Obama's face next to Adolf Hitler's, have appeared on signs at dozens of rallies blasting the president and the Democrat-controlled Congress.” FoxNews.com accompanied the article with the following image:

swastika

[FoxNews.com, 4/11/10]

Alan Colmes Reports Multiple Protesters At Health Care Reform Protests Held Signs Featuring Swastikas. On August 6, 2009, Fox News contributor Alan Colmes wrote on his website:

Now, let's show that Nancy Pelosi is accurate. Outside the office of Congresswoman Betsy Markey of CO was this lovely scene:

colmes

[Alan.com, 8/6/09]

BurntOrangeReport.com Reports Image Of Young Man Holding Swastika Sign At Austin Health Care Rally. From BurntOrangeReport.com:

What are the consequences stoking such unbridled anger and hatred for health care? How do you make them afraid? What is it that Republicans are willing to do, exactly, to incite this fear and anger among there suporters?

Well, here's one example --

“Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate” -- Republican radio host, Rush Limbaugh: (Source)

swastika2

A young man protests at the Austin health care rally. Photo courtesy of Paul Rhea.

[BurntOrangeReport.com, 8/6/09]

Huffington Post: Pelosi Protesters “Were Bedecked With Images Equating Barack Obama's Policies To Nazism And The President To Hitler Himself.” The Huffington Post reported on August 7, 2009:

Two members of the audience at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) town hall meeting in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday -- including a toddler in a stroller -- were bedecked with images equating Barack Obama's policies to Nazism and the president to Hitler himself.

The photos, which were passed to the Huffington Post by a Democratic reader, are the latest evidence of the increasingly wild accusations leveled by protesters at health-care town halls -- though these may be some of the more remarkable yet.

In one image, a young man is pictured with a shirt that reads “Hitler Gave Great Speeches Too.” TalkLeft blogger Jeralyn Merritt interviewed the teen, who told her was 16 and hailed from former Gov. Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. The progressive website FireDogLake, has more.

wasillakid

In another picture, two children are being pushed in a double stroller, with the child in front holding a large white sign.

“No To Fascism!” it reads, with a Swastika crossed out in the upper right hand corner.

stroller

[Huffington Post, 8/7/09]

Hannity Himself Has Invoked The Nazis To Attack Democrats

Hannity: Using Quran For Swearing-In Is Same As Using A “Nazi Bible.” On the November 30, 2006, edition of Hannity & Colmes, Hannity said that Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) using a copy of the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony “will embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones” and is comparable to using “Hitler's Mein Kampf ... the Nazis' bible.” [Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, 11/30/06]