‘MIGOP stands by our statement’: Michigan GOP compares gun control to Holocaust, won't apologize

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Michigan's Republican Party is facing strong backlash after a controversial tweet comparing the state's gun control measures to the Holocaust.

A press conference is being held at 5 p.m. by state GOP leader Kristina Karamo to address the statement.  

The verified Michigan GOP Twitter page posted an update just before 8:30 Wednesday morning saying the following: #History has shown us that the first thing a government does when it wants total control over its people is to disarm them. President Reagan once stated, "if we lose #freedom here, there is nowhere else to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth." #2A #GOP

Included with the text was a historical photo of a crate full of rings taken from Jewish families by Nazi soldiers and the text "Before they collected all these wedding rings…they collected all the guns."

Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, expressed outrage about the post saying it was "absolutely inappropriate and  offensive and should be taken down immediately."

The Michigan Democratic Party issued a statement condemning the tweet, saying "This vile rhetoric should have no place in our politics. The MI GOP must apologize and take down this disgusting tweet."

Karamo said in a press conference that gun rights are under attack by state Democrats and that the "ginned up" controversy was taking away focus from the so-called red flag laws and other gun reform being pushed through the legislature.

Read more: Democratic-run state legislature to implement red flag laws, require safe storage, and more.

"The Second Amendment exists for defensive purposes, it exists to protect citizens from aspiring tyrants," she said. "And any notion that the Michigan Republican Party has drawn comparisons between historical events and the Democrats' push to disarm the people of Michigan is somehow offensive or bigoted, is flat-out dishonest."

Karamo repeatedly spoke about history and the power of the Second Amendment.

"History has shown us that defenseless people are easy targets for tyrants and that's a fact," she said. "What amazes me is that people are troubled by drawing comparisons between historical events and current events. We love the phrase that history repeats itself but yet when we point to history that is somehow controversial. I will not tolerate that, I will not apologize for that."

Earlier today Karamo online doubled down on the post on her own social media page.

"Government abuse of citizens has not only happened in world history, but American history," Karamo said in a statement posted on Twitter, mentioning the enslavement of Blacks and the persecution of certain ethnic groups. "We will not be silent as the Democratic Party, the party who fought to enslave Black Americans, and currently fights to murder unborn children, attempt to disarm us," she added. "MIGOP stands by our statement."