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Lauren Witzke

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Lauren Witzke
Personal details
Born (1988-02-09) February 9, 1988 (age 36)
Delmar, Delaware, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationDelaware Technical and Community College
Goldey-Beacom College (BBA)

Lauren Elena Witzke (born February 9, 1988) is an American far-right[1] political activist known for her anti-LGBT views and promotion of QAnon.[2][3][4] Witzke was the Republican nominee in the 2020 United States Senate election in Delaware, which she lost to incumbent Democrat Chris Coons. She is a former TV show host for TruNews.

Early life and education

Lauren Witzke was born on February 9, 1988, in Delmar, Delaware. She attended Goldey-Beacom College, where she earned a BBA in business management.[5]

Career

2020 Senate election

Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in Delaware

On September 16, 2020, Witzke won the Republican primary for the 2020 Senate election in Delaware with 57% of the vote, defeating attorney and former Marine James DeMartino. Witzke said that her opponent was a "RINO", an acronym for 'Republican in name only'. Her candidacy was not endorsed by the Delaware state Republican Party who had instead decided to endorse DeMartino.[6] Witzke's Senate campaign was endorsed by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who had marched in the August 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.[7] Witzke accepted Fuentes' endorsement with the response of "Thank you, Nick!".[8] During the general election campaign, Witzke claimed without evidence that Hunter Biden's laptop contained illicit images of "Chris Coons' daughter in addition to seven other underaged girls". PolitiFact rated the claim to be false.[9]

In the November 2020 general election, Witzke was defeated by incumbent Senator Chris Coons 59-38%.[10]

Media work

After far-right radio host and conspiracy theorist Rick Wiles was hospitalized with COVID-19 in late May 2021, his organization TruNews announced that Witzke would be filling in for him as co-host of the program.[11] After Wiles returned, Witzke was hired as a permanent co-host of his show. As of September 6, 2021, Witzke has been let go from TruNews.[12] In October 2021, she revealed she had contracted COVID-19 and said she experienced a loss of senses and "brain fog". She blamed COVID-19 testing done at TruNews for making her aware of her infection.[13]

Political views

Witzke advocates closed borders and pronatalist family policies, similar to those implemented in Hungary; opposes all economic, political, and cultural globalization; and identifies as a traditionalist and Christian nationalist. She supports socialized medicine through a Medicare for All system on the condition of a ten-year immigration moratorium. Witzke has criticized former president Donald Trump for failing to follow through on his rhetorical commitment with executive orders to complete a southern border wall and prosecute political rival Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information.[citation needed]

Witzke has appeared on VDARE, a website that the Anti-Defamation League has called a "xenophobic website" and the Southern Poverty Law Center a website that "regularly publishes articles by prominent white nationalists, race scientists and anti-Semites".[14] Witzke tweeted out her interview with VDARE, writing, "In order to preserve America, we must first preserve American families, our values, and our culture."[15] In October 2020, Witzke defended the far-right organization the Proud Boys and said at one point that the Proud Boys exemplified "patriotic masculinity" and thanked the group for providing security at her campaign rallies.[16][17]

Abortion

Witzke opposes abortion and supports overturning the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Upon the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020, Witzke said that "Ruth Bader Ginsberg's obsession with abortion overtly singled out blacks and minorities for extermination".[18] Witzke also attacked her Democratic opponent Chris Coons for being a "Christian-hating baby killer".[19]

Black Lives Matter

Witzke has described Black Lives Matter as "violent terrorists" who want to "stoke societal unrest, and literally already has blood on their hands" referring to the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots in which David Dorn was killed by a burglar several miles away from riots in St. Louis.[20][17]

COVID-19

Witzke has said that COVID-19 is "satanic" and that COVID-19 vaccine is a "satanic plot" to cause "mass death".[21]

Immigration

Witzke has supported a complete ban on all immigration to the United States for ten years.[22][14] She has also stated that "nationalist populism is the future".[23]

LGBT people

In March 2021, Witzke responded to a tweet from Richard Grenell about a trans woman who had attended CPAC by claiming that transgender people are "mentally ill" and "demonic".[24] She also iterated her opposition to both same-sex marriage and gay conservatives being welcomed into the Republican Party.[25][26] Witzke has also said that Christians should "reclaim the rainbow" and celebrate June (LGBT pride month) as "Christianity month".[2]

Witzke said that the COVID-19 outbreak that afflicted TruNews was a "demonic attack" on the channel for having self-described "ex-gay" Milo Yiannopoulos and called him "Satan's favorite sodomite".[4]

While speaking on an online panel on the post-Trump future of the Republican Party in March 2021, Witzke attacked conservative trans woman Blaire White, saying, "The best thing you can do for us is grow out your moustache and tell people not to live like you." On the same panel, Witzke also espoused the belief that trans people are "sexual predators" and "pedophiles".[19]

QAnon

Witzke has voiced support for the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, which centers on claims that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic sexual abusers of children operating a global child sex trafficking ring conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump during his term in office.[27][28]

Russia

At the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference, Witzke described Russia as "a Christian nationalist nation", and said "I identify more with Putin's Christian values than I do with Joe Biden."[29][30] She stated that "Christian Nationalist countries are a threat to the global regime".[31]

Personal life

Witzke was raised Methodist. She is a former drug user who reformed through a Pentecostal faith-based recovery program for which she later became program director. She is a recent Evangelical Protestant convert to Orthodox Christianity, received within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), and was a catechumen during her Senate campaign.[32]

Electoral history

Republican primary results, 2020[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lauren Witzke 30,702 56.89%
Republican James DeMartino 23,266 43.11%
Total votes 53,968 100.00%
United States Senate election in Delaware, 2020[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chris Coons (incumbent) 291,804 59.44% +3.61%
Republican Lauren Witzke 186,054 37.90% −4.33%
Independent Party Mark Turley 7,833 1.59% N/A
Libertarian Nadine Frost 5,244 1.07% N/A
Total votes 490,935 100.0%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ^ CHASE, RANDALL. "Republican nominee for US Senate in Delaware has repeatedly promoted QAnon conspiracy theory, once called self 'flat earther'". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Christians Attempt To Cancel Pride, Celebrate June As 'Christianity Month'". Star Observer. June 4, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  3. ^ "Right-wing US politician calls Teletubbies 'little gay demons' after Lil Nas X tweet". indy100. September 21, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Far-right host blames COVID outbreak on 'demonic attack' after hosting Milo Yiannopoulos". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBT+ news. June 8, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ^ "Lauren Witzke". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Chase, Randall. "Newcomer Witzke wins GOP US Senate primary in Delaware". Associated Press. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Associated Press and Haaretz (September 18, 2020). "Delaware GOP Primary Winner Linked to QAnon, White Nationalist Nick Fuentes". Haaretz. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Sommer, Will (September 16, 2020). "New QAnon-Allied GOP Senate Candidate Also Pushed Anti-Semitism, Flat Earthism, and 9/11 Conspiracies". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Funke, Daniel (October 26, 2020). "No evidence Hunter Biden had photos of Coons' daughter". PolitiFact. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "2020 General Election Report". Delaware Department of Elections. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  11. ^ Mantyla, Kyle (June 1, 2021). "Anti-Vax COVID-19 Conspiracy Theorist Rick Wiles Hospitalized With COVID-19". Right Wing Watch. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "Lauren Witzke ☦️🇺🇸". tlgrm.eu. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  13. ^ Davis, Charles R. "'I've lost my joy': Anti-vax Republican, who worked for the Trump campaign and embraced QAnon, says she has COVID-19". Business Insider. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Barrish, Cris (September 22, 2020). "Del. Senate candidate Witzke retweets support from group with 'white nationalist' ties". WHYY. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  15. ^ Sales, Ben (October 6, 2020). "Delaware's GOP Senate candidate appears on site linked to white supremacists". The Times of Israel. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  16. ^ Castronuovo, Celine (October 1, 2020). "GOP Senate candidate Lauren Witzke defends 'patriotic masculinity' of Proud Boys". The Hill. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Parra, Esteban; Horn, Brittany (October 1, 2020). "Delaware US Senate candidate thanks Proud Boys for providing free security at rally". Delaware Online. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Naughtie, Andrew (September 29, 2020). "QAnon-linked Senate candidate under fire for 'vile and racist attacks' on RBG". The Independent. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Baska, Maggie (March 16, 2021). "Trans Republican hit with disgusting transphobia by fellow conservative in 'painful' exchange". Pink News. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  20. ^ McFall, Caitlin (June 9, 2020). "Hundreds mourn David Dorn, retired St. Louis police captain killed in looting". Fox News. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  21. ^ Davis, Charles (October 21, 2021). "'I've lost my joy': Anti-vax Republican, who worked for the Trump campaign and embraced QAnon, says she has COVID-19". Business Insider. Australia India Yahoo UK
  22. ^ Spocchia, Gino (September 16, 2020). "Second QAnon supporter wins Republican Senate primary". The Independent. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Williamson, Elizabeth (October 4, 2020). "In Biden's Home State, Republican Centrism Gives Way to the Fringe". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Chapman, Matthew (March 1, 2021). "Former Trump spy chief hits back after failed GOP Senate candidate attacks LGBTQ rights". Raw Story. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  25. ^ Holmes, Juwan J. (March 1, 2021). "Ric Grenell shared a trans woman's CPAC experience. Conservatives have been blasting him since then". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  26. ^ Baska, Maggie (March 2, 2021). "Trump sycophant Richard Grenell bombarded with Republican transphobia after sharing trans woman's CPAC experience". Pink News. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  27. ^ "Second QAnon supporter wins Republican Senate primary". The Independent. September 16, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  28. ^ Kunzelman, Michael; Slevin, Colleen (February 9, 2020). "'QAnon' conspiracy theory creeps into mainstream politics". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  29. ^ "Opinion | Why some white evangelicals are cheerleading Russia". MSNBC.com. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  30. ^ "No, Putin Isn't a Defender of 'Christian Values'". Reason.com. February 25, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  31. ^ Bazzle, Steph (February 25, 2022). "WATCH: GOP Senate Candidate Aligns "More With Putin's Christian Values" Than Biden's". HillReporter.com. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  32. ^ Riccardi-Swartz, Sarah (January 26, 2021). "After Orthodox Priest Suspended for 'Stop the Steal' Activity, a Renewed Spotlight on the Orthodox Far-Right". Religion Dispatches. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  33. ^ "2020 State Primary Election Report". Delaware.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2020.


Further reading

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Delaware
(Class 2)
2020 		Most recent
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