AZ fake elector appears on Holocaust denier show; now he's banned from Senate video room
State Sen. Anthony Kern, who's running for Congress in a crowded Republican primary, was banned from using a Senate video room after appearing from the room on the show of a white nationalist Holocaust denier.
Kern told The Arizona Republic he "had no idea" the episode of the Stew Peters Show he was on began with antisemitic imagery, including a stereotypical Orthodox Jewish man holding puppets resembling world leaders.
"I don't know who Stew Peters is," said Kern, referring to the antisemitic host who has praised Adolf Hitler and spread pandemic misinformation. He slammed the news media for focusing on his appearance on the show, saying the media helps billionaire George Soros' efforts to defeat Trump. Soros, who's Jewish, is a frequent target of conservative conspiracy theories.
Kern added he wouldn't go on the show again.
The three-term lawmaker is one of 18 defendants indicted in a state investigation over an alleged plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Arizona and was photographed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
In the interview with Peters, Kern complained about a Democratic lawmaker's use of a room in the state House to host a "drag story hour" April 30 and criticized House Speaker Ben Toma, one of his Republican competitors for the seat in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Toma's failure to stop the drag event in advance displays his "incompetence," Kern told the show's host.
Toma has maintained he was deceived by Democrats about the nature of the drag event, which featured a man in makeup and a sparkly suit reading from a book about a transgender activist. Kern told The Republic "he should know what's going on in his chamber."
Senate President Warren Petersen didn't make clear why Kern was banned after announcing the punishment through a spokesperson. Asked for more details, Petersen stuck to a prepared statement by a spokesperson that he "does not approve" of how Kern used the room and had revoked Kern's "future privileges" from using it again for interviews.
Asked what policy governs the use of the facility, a room with bookcases on the Senate building's first floor, spokesperson Kim Quintero referred to a state law barring the use of taxpayer funds for campaign purposes.
Kern said he would "have to disagree" with any suggestion the interview had something to do with his campaign.
Republic reporter Mary Jo Pitzl contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ fake elector appears on Holocaust denier show; faces consequences