INDIANAPOLIS — Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, is facing criticism for a social media post that included a Nazi quote.
The quote was attributed to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, a trusted friend of Adolf Hitler who was tasked with presenting Hitler to the public in a more favorable light. He regulated German media, and spread violent, anti-Semitic content throughout Germany.
The quote posted by Rep Lucas reads:
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
Lucas later removed the post and said on social media that he was not comparing the U.S. to the Nazi Party.
Lucas’ Democratic opponent, Chad Harmon, posted a screenshot of Lucas' cover photo. Harmon said, "After running against Jim Lucas for a while now, it’s hard to surprise me anymore, but today he literally changed his cover photo to a quote from Nazi Joseph Goebbels. This is a sitting Indiana State Representative quoting a Nazi.”
CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center poster a letter on Facebook condemning Lucas' post. Part of the response reads:
We are shocked and horrified that an Indiana lawmaker would make such a statement about Hitler's chief architect and purveyor of hate speech, ultimately leading to the murder of over 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. Hate propaganda was the driving force behind the Holocaust, and these seeds of hate have been, and are being planted, today in the United States.
Lucas is not new to controversial posts including a racist meme. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston’s response to the outcry over the meme to remove Lucas from two committees and demote him on another. He's also faced criticism for statements he's made about slavery.
13News reached out to Lucas' office and is yet to receive a response to the Nazi quote post.