GOP New York City Councilwoman Vows to Meet With Jewish Groups After Equating Vaxx Mandate to ‘Nazi Germany’

Vickie Paladino/Twitter

Republican New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino has apologized after she connected the city’s vaccine mandate to the atrocities committed in Germany under the Nazi regime.

Paladino, who represents a portion of Queens, compared the Big Apple’s proof of a vaccine card in some cases to routine paper checks for people viewed as less than desirable by Hitler’s genocidal regime from 1933 to 1945.

Asked by NY1 if she was vaccinated on Monday, Paladino told the outlet that her vaccine status is her business, and hers alone.

“It’s just nobody’s business whether I am or not. See, it’s called medical freedom,” said Paladino, who clarified she is pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine mandate.

But Paladino then made an extreme comparison she would quickly regret.

“I don’t need to show you my papers,” she said. “This is not Nazi Germany.”

The councilwoman on Tuesday released an apology on Twitter and vowed to meet with members of the local Jewish community.

Yesterday an interview was published with NY1 in which I compared New York’s authoritarian mandate policies to Nazi Germany. It was a mistake to make that comparison. It was a flippant remark and I apologize to anyone who was genuinely offended. Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/sqY4y3i3BZ

— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) January 11, 2022

Paladino said, “During an hours-long interview with a reporter in which I spoke passionately about many issues, I made an ill-considered and inappropriate comparison between our government’s vaccine mandates and Nazi Germany. Though I immediately regretted what I said, and even asked the reporter to strike it from the record, I take complete ownership of that mistake.”

She added:

While my intent was to illustrate that requiring residents to show medical papers to earn a living or do everyday activities is an authoritarian practice that does not align with this country’s principles, it is never okay to compare anything to the evil of Nazi Germany. I apologize to those who were genuinely offended by my comment, and will be meeting with local Jewish leaders and my friends in the Jewish community in the coming days to discuss this matter.

I remain committed to fighting the authoritarian mandates in this city, supporting law enforcement, and working every day to improve my district.