The White House has demanded that Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) apologize for a social media post in which he told White House official Stephen Miller, who is Jewish, to “go back to 1930s Germany."
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly condemned the comment, calling it “absolutely disgusting.” She added, "Mark Pocan must apologize, not only to Stephen but to his constituents and seek professional help." Kelly also noted that such “crazed antisemitic hatred” emboldens extremists to target Jewish Americans.
The comment came after Miller, who serves as the deputy chief of staff for policy, made a statement about New York City’s mayoral race. Following the victory of anti-Israel candidate Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary last week, Miller warned that the city served as a "clear warning" of the consequences when a society fails to control immigration.
Pocan, who serves as the chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Miller a "racist f-" and wrote, "go back to 1930s Germany." It was unclear whether Pocan was aware that Miller is Jewish, but Miller has often discussed his Jewish identity, Israel, and antisemitism on social media.
In response to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)’s criticism in October, Miller had written, “I’m Jewish. My Jewish brothers and sisters were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. Your Hitler jokes, delivered on behalf of Kamala, are beyond sick.” He continued, “They are sinister. Vile. Hateful. You dishonor the memory of 6 million murdered Jews with your venom and lies. Shame on you.”
Pocan’s remark against Miller was widely seen as an antisemitic attack. The National Republican Congressional Committee condemned the comment, stating, "Telling a Jewish American to ‘go back to 1930s Germany’ is just the latest in a long line of outrageous, disgusting antisemitism from Democrat Mark Pocan. Wisconsin Democrats must denounce Pocan’s vile rhetoric or be complicit."
Wisconsin State Rep. Bob Donovan, a Republican, also denounced Pocan’s remarks, saying, “These comments are disgusting and are utterly beneath the high office you hold. Shame on you.”
In response to a journalist who questioned Pocan's failure to address criticism of his post, Pocan wrote that it was “very clear what I was saying.” He continued, "His comments and actions toward immigrants are similar to 1930s Germany. His analysis of the New York City election was racism-xenophobia at its purest.”
Pocan maintained that the criticism was “highly partisan” and added, "As a journalist, you should know better." His comments remain visible, as he later posted: “Anyone saying the New York City election is due to migrants, including many Jewish migrants, is raising racist and xenophobic tropes."
Pocan further claimed, "Rounding people up to deport without due process is like a time in history that cannot be duplicated. Any other interpretation is an intentional distraction."