Independent: DHS speechwriter linked to hateful social accounts while claiming American conservatives are ostracized like Jews in Nazi Germany

‘They are not migrants. They are not ‘undocumented.’ They are an invading army. The largest invasion in American history,’ DHS speechwriter writes on X

A speechwriter at the Department of Homeland Security has been linked to hateful posts on social media, reportedly claiming that American conservatives are ostracized like the Jews were in Nazi Germany.

A blog post reportedly authored by Eric Lendrum celebrated the January 6 insurrection and compared the following fallout for conservatives to the Holocaust and slavery, Notus reported.

“American conservatives are, right now, on a course for being every bit as ostracized and alienated from broader society as Jews were in the years leading up to Nazi Germany,” he claimed in a 2021 blog post on American Greatness, a rightwing opinion and news site. Lendrum posted on the site until March of this year.

His podcast, The Right Take, is listed in the author’s description on the site. On one episode of the podcast, he said he liked watching videos of scared legislators during the Jan 6 insurrection.

“There’s something so gratifying about seeing the images of these members of Congress — especially the Democrats — crouching under their chairs, putting on those stupid, like, bubble masks, those anti-gas bubble masks, and then taking selfies,” a laughing Lendrum said just days after the Capitol riot.

In another episode, published in October 2022, Lendrum said immigrants put Europe at risk, while also backing the “great replacement theory.” The far-right theory claims that nonwhite immigrants are damaging the influence of white people.

“Given the direction of Europe right now, we could use a far-right government at this point,” said Lendrum.

On X, the account @realEricLendrum has argued for the removal of transgender “ideology” and compared asylum seekers to “scum.”

In another podcast episode, Lendrum referenced his brief period as a press assistant at the Interior Department during the first Trump administration, saying that he would only return to government if he could be closer to the president.

“If I could work more closely with him, that is the one case in which I would ever go back into government work,” said Lendrum, whose online profile was first reported by Notus. “Government work is not fun.”

The Independent has attempted to reach Lendrum for comment.

The DHS Office of Public Affairs states that a speechwriter at the department is responsible for preparing “speeches, talking points, editorials, Congressional testimony, video scripts, web content, and other written content for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.” The department ranks as the largest federal law enforcement agency.

In one of the blog posts linked to Lendrum, he appeared to argue that conservatives were facing political oppression similar to that of slaves and victims of the Holocaust.

“It has been said that the most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to completely dehumanize a significant portion of the population, so that their subsequent enslavement by the state will not face any larger resistance. It was true during slavery, it was true during the Holocaust, and it is true now,” the blog post stated.

Responding to questions from The Independent, DHS shared a link to the text of the First Amendment.

The X account linked to Lendrum argued that the U.S. should treat immigrants as an “invading army.”

“They are not migrants. They are not ‘undocumented.’ They are an invading army. The largest invasion in American history,” one post stated in May 2023. “And what are you supposed to do with an invading army? Crush it, by any means necessary. That’s the #AmericaFirst way.”

Also in the blog post about January 6, the author said, “The Democrats were absolutely terrified — literally cowering under their seats, horrified at the prospect of mere peasants walking through the halls of their castle.”

The lawmakers, including Republicans, were escorted by Capitol Police through the Capitol complex.

“The truth is that they are grateful the events of that day unfolded as they did,” the post argued regarding the Democrats.

In a podcast episode published in April 2023, he said he would “always properly deadname t***** freaks.”

“I will keep calling them t******* because I know it’s derogatory, and I know they freakin’ hate it. That’s why I deadname them. That’s why I use their original pronouns,” he said. “You control the language. Don’t give these freaks an inch on the language.”

“We need to eradicate transgenderism. Wipe it off the face of the Earth. Destroy it. Get rid of it,” he added. “As a disclaimer, I’m not saying to wipe the people out. I’m not saying get rid of the people. I’m saying eliminate the ideology. Cure these people.”

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/dhs-speechwriter-social-media-conservatives-nazi-germany-b2809794.html

Reason: Police Target Dozens of Reporters During L.A. Anti-ICE Protests

Dozens of journalists have been assaulted and injured by federal and local law enforcement in Los Angeles during protests earlier this week against Donald Trump’s mass deportation program.

Press freedom groups are demanding that law enforcement stop targeting reporters covering the L.A. protests after on-air news broadcasts and cellphone video showed federal, state, and local police firing indiscriminately on crowds with pepper balls, rubber bullets, and other so-called less-than-lethal ammunition, while in other cases officers are seen firing on clearly identified members of the press.

A coalition of 28 groups including the Los Angeles Press Club, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the American Civil Liberties Union, sent a letter to Department Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday “to express alarm” over the incidents and urge Noem to ensure that federal law enforcement officers uphold the First Amendment.

According to the groups, there were at least 24 documented instances of journalists being targeted by law enforcement while covering Los Angeles protests between June 6 and June 8.

“A number of reports suggest that federal officers have indiscriminately used force or deployed munitions such as tear gas or pepper balls that caused significant injuries to journalists,” the letter said. “In some cases, federal officers appear to have deliberately targeted journalists who were doing nothing more than their job covering the news.”

https://reason.com/2025/06/12/police-target-dozens-of-reporters-during-l-a-anti-ice-protests

Musk Offers $100 to Wisconsin Voters, Bringing Back a Controversial Tactic

By offering cash to voters who sign a petition opposing “activist judges,” Elon Musk’s super PAC can help identify conservative voters in a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Elon Musk is bringing back his most controversial gambit from the 2024 presidential election: paying voters as part of a plan to identify and turn out conservative-leaning ones.

The super PAC that Mr. Musk founded to funnel his fortune into Republican causes, America PAC, said on Thursday that it was offering $100 to registered voters in Wisconsin who sign a petition “in opposition to activist judges” or refer others to sign it.

Musk Offers $100 to Wisconsin Voters, Bringing Back a Controversial Tactic – The New York