John Kasich slams Donald Trump's 'dangerous rhetoric,' linking it to Nazi Germany

Screenshot from John Kasich&#039;s attack ad on Trump

(Image credit: Screenshot/Youtube)

published 25 November 2015

The Republican presidential candidates have been slow to criticize Donald Trump, seemingly cowed by his wild popularity and promises to punch back at anyone who speaks ill of him. That makes Ohio Gov. John Kasich's latest campaign ad all the more refreshing — and unusual. Released on Tuesday, the ad links Trump's "dangerous rhetoric" to Nazi Germany.

In the video, Col. Tom Moe, a former POW from Vietnam, references a poem from the 1950s by the anti-Nazi pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —Because I was not a Socialist.Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —Because I was not a Trade Unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —Because I was not a Jew.Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

Moe turns the poem around, applying it directly to Trump. "You might not care if Donald Trump says Muslims must register with the government, because you're not one," he says, going on to walk through some of Trump's more notorious headlines. Then comes the chilling kicker: "But think about this: If he keeps going and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you," Moe says. "And you better hope that there’s someone left to help you."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.