Don't hang out with people who praise Adolf Hitler! It should seem like an easy guideline for anyone to follow, as well as the personal preference of most people. But for Republicans in Texas, asking them to stay away from neo-Nazis is seen very differently. To conspiratorially-minded conservatives, it is a "Marxist" plot against them. Which is why, on Saturday, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas voted down a resolution barring members from associating with anyone "known to espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial."
That that this even had to be put up for a vote is a sign that the "don't pal around with Nazis" rule is viewed by many in the Texas Republican Party as too onerous a restriction. This entire situation started in October when it was revealed that Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative and current leader of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, held a 7-hour meeting with some of the most repugnant people in American society, including Nick Fuentes, a loudmouthed Hitler apologist who has called for "holy war" on Jews and declared, "all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory." Matt Rinaldi, the chair of the Republican Party of Texas, was also seen entering the building during this time but denies being at the meeting, despite being an outspoken ally of Stickland and his far-right agenda.
