California GOP congressional candidate compared Parkland teens to Hitler

A Republican running for Congress in California repeatedly targeted Parkland, Fla., shooting survivor David Hogg, spreading false theories about him and even comparing Hogg and fellow gun control activists to Adolf Hitler.

Tim Donnelly, running for California’s 8th Congressional District, has targeted Hogg in social media posts, calling him and fellow protesters “pawns,” “Leftists” and “Hitlerian” on multiple occasions, CNN first reported.

“I wonder if the #MarchForOurLives tools know how Hitlerian they look and sound. #pawns #tools #Leftists #NRA #2a #HoggWash #HoggPack,” Donnelly tweeted on March 24, the day of the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C.

I wonder if the #MarchForOurLives tools know how Hitlerian they look and sound. #pawns #tools #Leftists #NRA #2a #HoggWash #HoggPack pic.twitter.com/aijXT4Ifh9

— Tim Donnelly for Congress (@PatriotNotPol) March 24, 2018

Donnelly also pushed a fake conspiracy theory that Hogg was not inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the Feb. 14 shooting, in which 17 people were killed.

The fake theory was disproved by video footage Hogg recorded of himself hiding in a classroom during the shooting. His teacher also vouched for his whereabouts.

“So let me get this straight, That Hogg guy, the one with a Hitlerian fetish to disarm Americans, who’s become the face of #Parkland survivors–@davidhogg111– admits that he wasn’t even at the school during the shooting, just showed up afterwards in time to get his mug on TV. Sounds like #hoggwash to me,” Donnelly posted on his Facebook page in March.

Donnelly posted a video of himself on Facebook on April 1 slamming gun control measures.

In the video, Donnelly again pushes the false claim that Hogg was not at the school and calls him a “media whore.”

“We see this kid, David Hogg, who’s been lying about the fact he wasn’t even at the school. And yet, he’s called a Parkland survivor. I’m sorry. I don’t get that. If you weren’t there you’re not a survivor,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly is running against Rep. Paul Cook (R) in the June 8 primary.

He previously ran for the seat in 2016 but came in third in the primary. Donnelly also ran for California governor in 2014 and finished in third.