A Virginia state delegate has sparked outrage by using a Holocaust-related quote in an attack on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to modernize the federal bureaucracy.
During an emergency hearing last week on the agency’s impact on Virginia, Democratic state Delegate Joshua Cole compared the DOGE cost-cutting initiative to Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews. His remarks quickly attracted strong criticism from local leaders.
“I’ve seen so many people excited about these cuts and job losses,” Cole said. “And it reminds me of a quote from a long time ago: ‘First they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t Jewish. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. And then when they came for me, there was no one to speak up because everyone had been taken.’”
This quote, originally from German Pastor Martin Niemöller, reflects his regret after supporting Adolf Hitler before being imprisoned by the Nazis. Niemöller’s famous statement has become a reminder of the dangers of silence in the face of injustice.
Republican leaders swiftly condemned Cole’s comments, with State House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert criticizing the comparison. “Comparing the loss of some government jobs to the Holocaust is an insult to the memory of the millions who were slaughtered by the Nazi regime,” Gilbert told Fox News. He also called for Cole to apologize to Virginians and Holocaust survivors.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor, also condemned the statement, saying, “Virginia Dems disgustingly compared cutting wasteful spending to the Holocaust — trivializing the murder of 6 million Jews.”
Additionally, critics pointed out that Cole misquoted Niemöller. The original quote reads: “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.”
Social media user Viva Frei criticized Cole, saying, “Nothing like comparing downsizing big government to the Holocaust. Congrats. Also, you mangled the poem. Also, if your district has the highest concentration of federal workers, that is precisely part of the problem.”
Cole did not respond to a request for comment.
In his speech, Cole also recalled how Virginia lawmakers had to convene an emergency panel at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding, “The difference between then and now is we had extra money coming in. Now, we’re going to be losing money because of this situation.”
He expressed concern about the loss of federal income and its potential impact on local communities. Virginia is home to around 145,000 federal workers, with many living near Washington, D.C.
In response, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) has outlined a plan to help mitigate the effects of DOGE cuts on the state. With a gubernatorial election in November, Youngkin introduced a “resource package” to help displaced workers find new jobs, including the virginiahasjobs.com website.
“I have extraordinary empathy for the fact that many workers in Virginia today are concerned about their future,” Youngkin said Monday.
