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CNN's New Day host Alisyn Camerota had a plate full of hate on Thursday when the Illinois Republican 3rd District candidate for Congress, Arthur Jones appeared on her show.
For those who don't know, Jones is a former leader of the American Nazi Party, who currently denies any affiliation with it or any other organization besides his own "...the America First Committee," despite evidence to the contrary (—including in this interview).
Though Jones maintains he hasn't "belonged to one since about 1990," referring to Nazi and white supremacist groups, he has been very vocal about his anti-semitic views, which caused Camerota to exclaim:
Mr. Jones, It is shocking to hear how vocally and unapologetically racist you are. Are you a Nazi?
A Holocaust denier who was described as a Nazi by the Illinois Republican Party is poised to win a primary https://t.co/0OGRv4eN6I— The New York Times (@The New York Times)1518021965.0
CNN host tells Holocaust-denying congress candidate: "You'll go down in flames" https://t.co/QgA0RcCpEe https://t.co/boXrLcpVFr— Yahoo News (@Yahoo News)1518114648.0
While on the program Jones spouted holocaust denial rhetoric including calling the holocaust a "scam," and an "extortion racket." Jones, who claims he hasn't been formally involved with Nazi organizations for the last 15 or 20 years, calls himself "...an American patriot and statesman."
But Camerota was having none of that, countering:
You've been part of anti-Semitic groups since the 1970s. You're part of the White People's Party. You dress in Nazi garb, you celebrate Hitler's birthday. You're a Nazi.
When Camerota described his website as "filled with the most vile, rancid rhetoric I think I've ever read," Jones, who recently told The Atlantic that he preferred to be called a "white racialist," lit into her:
It's not vile and rancid, it's the truth. There's nothing on that website that's not true. You jews media, you've gone absolutely nuts. You think that Adolf Hitler's revived from the grave or something. It's one man, myself, that's standing for the truth.
At points in the exchange Camerota looked absolutely flabbergasted that anyone would hold these views let alone be so aggressively open about them. After a few more moments of Jones' bluster, Camerota called it quits, wrapping things up by saying:
You have a long track record of losing. You lose virtually everything that you run for. You've run for Congress and you've lost, for mayor, for alderman. And we're not in the business of predicting the news, but I can say that you will lose this race. You couldn't win dog catcher.
She finished him off with:
Chances are, you'll go down in flames.
Many people on Twitter agreed with Camerota and seemed riveted by the exchange including Buzz Feed's Global News Director, Lisa Tozzi and Country Music Singer, Chely Wright:
Alisyn Camerota is interviewing the Nazi running for congress in Illinois on CNN right now and it is ... something.— Lisa Tozzi (@Lisa Tozzi)1518094781.0
Oh. My. God. I'm stunned. And angry. And scared, but mostly stunned. @NewDay @CNN https://t.co/OcOMr0BDKW— Chely Wright (@Chely Wright)1518104312.0
i don't think you understand just how repulsive this is. this man includes sections on his CAMPAIGN SITE questionin… https://t.co/8y6kDNXLT8— cяүsтαℓ 🌹 (@cяүsтαℓ 🌹)1518022715.0
Chilling to listen to this man spew hateful bile and be in line to win state primary. Strong work by Alisyn Camerot… https://t.co/aEIBAa2yis— Kat O'Brien (@Kat O'Brien)1518094854.0
Some wondered why he was even given time to spout his hate on a national outlet including Chair of Journalism Ethics at Poynter School of Journalism and Democracy, Indira Lakshmanan:
Alisyn Camerota pushed back strongly against this poisonous, foul man spouting Nazi views, but why did @CNN @NewDay… https://t.co/oRJbsOuIrH— Indira Lakshmanan (@Indira Lakshmanan)1518116130.0
@YahooNews Can we not engage with history-deniers— Andrea Ball (@Andrea Ball)1518147710.0
Some called for the GOP to do something about this guy:
Dear @ChicagoGOP @GOPChairwoman, this piece of trash is running for Congress as a Republican unopposed. Arthur Jon… https://t.co/G3ZGAKuX3l— Sky Hartman (@Sky Hartman)1518127874.0
leader of Illinois Rep Party Tim Schneider (@fighting15th) statement: “The Illinois Rep Party and our country have… https://t.co/oD1Ka5DpU9— Sky Hartman (@Sky Hartman)1518128818.0
Though Jones is set to win the Republican primary, as he is running unopposed, the good people of Illinois can probably rest assured as The Atlantic put it:
While it's true that Illinois's congressional districts were drawn to the benefit of Democrats, the Chicagoland area is generally so liberal that most races wouldn't be competitive no matter how you sliced them.