As many state officials issued solemn statements Saturday in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Alabama Democratic Party instead attempted to earn political points against Gov. Kay Ivey by linking the Nazi genocide of Jews to the recent execution of convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith.
"Today, we remember the millions of lives lost to unfathomable hatred — mindful that antisemitism still tries to resurface in our world," Ivey posted on X. "To never again see such evil carry out, we will always continue to preserve the memory of this painful history."
Instead of issuing their own statement honoring the memory of those killed in the Holocaust, the Democrat's X account responded, "A man was gassed to death for 22 minutes Thursday with your permission but yes, tell us more about 'never again seeing such evil carried out.'"
Smith was executed Thursday by way of nitrogen hypoxia, the first time the method has been used in the U.S. Smith had been convicted of stabbing and killing Elizabeth Sennett 35 years ago in a murder-for-hire plot.
This isn't the first time the Alabama Democratic Party has made dubious World War II comparisons. In November 2023, Party chairman Randy Kelley doubled down on a Twitter post comparing U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) to Adolf Hitler even after being criticized by the Anti-Defamation League Southeast.
In another odd comparison, Alabama Democratic Party vice chair Tabitha Isner on Friday tried to connect Smith's execution and the issue of the death penalty in general to the $83 million verdict against former President Donald Trump in his recent defamation lawsuit.
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