Glenn Beck is well-known for using hyperbole, conspiracy theories, and provocative imagery to keep himself relevant to conservatives. However, during his keynote speech this weekend at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) Annual Meeting, Beck went full-on Godwin’s law, characterizing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a Nazi.
According to a report from New York news station WABC, during the presentation Beck showed a satirical advertisement for New York City that showed Bloomberg, who is Jewish, giving a Nazi salute. Predictably, the Anti-Defamation League has criticized Beck’s presentation, calling it “insensitive and deeply offensive.”
The NRA has been battling gun restriction legislation since the Newtown shooting. In order to increase the legitimacy of their positions, the organization has been cleaning house and distancing itself from some of the more radical elements of the U.S. gun culture. Though Beck’s hour-and-a-half speech was largely filled with mainstream pro-gun arguments, his Nazi imagery could end up overshadowing the NRA’s meeting.
Last week’s NRA convention also gained attention this week after the organization requested a company called Zombie Industries remove a mannequin shooting target that resembles President Obama from its booth.
Beck’s Nazi Bloomberg reference occurs at around the 58-minute mark in the video of the speech below: