Images of Donald Trump supporters at a campaign rally raising their right hands in a pledge to the Republican presidential front-runner prompted Hitler comparisons on social media.
Trump has been compared to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler before, including hours before the rally by comedian Louis C.K., but photographs and videos from the Saturday event in Orlando, Florida, yielded unusually vivid visuals.
“Raise your right hand. I do solemnly swear that I — no matter how I feel, no matter what the conditions, if there’s hurricanes or whatever — will vote, on or before the 12th for Donald J. Trump for president,” Trump said, as hands went up throughout the audience in the arena of the University of Central Florida amid loud cheers and a recitation of the “pledge.”
“Don’t forget you all raised your hands,” Trump said. “You swore. Bad things happen if you don’t live up to what you just did.”
Twitter and Facebook were quickly flooded with posts sharing images from the event and comparisons to 1930s Nazi rallies in Germany, including some black-and-white crowd shots from the time. Among those who weighed in were political analysts…
PREDICTION: Donald Trump will probably never do this at a rally again. pic.twitter.com/W1XAvajRoL
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) March 5, 2016
… comedians
“Heil Trump!” happened at a rally today. How did we Nazi this coming? #Klandidate pic.twitter.com/dqQL6koRM7
— JHunterJokes (@jhuntercomedy) March 5, 2016
… and Jewish commentators.
Trump rally in Florida. He asked people to swear they would vote for him. This photo ensued. pic.twitter.com/dE18AJLIEv
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) March 5, 2016
