Controversy Erupts Over DHS Speechwriter's Extremist Views

A speechwriter for the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing intense scrutiny for his provocative online statements. Eric Lendrum has made shocking comparisons between American conservatives and groups that endured historical atrocities, including enslaved individuals and Jewish people during the Holocaust.

According to reports from Notus, Lendrum claimed on his podcast that the widely debunked Great Replacement conspiracy theory is 'real.' He began his role at the DHS in March after holding a position at the Department of the Interior during Trump’s first term, a time when the DHS became synonymous with aggressive immigration policies.

Podcast Provocations and Radical Claims

In between his government positions, Lendrum actively engaged in online discourse, hosting a podcast, sharing posts on social media platforms like X and Telegram, and contributing to the blog American Greatness. He has previously defended the insurrectionists from January 6, labeling their actions as 'patriotic persecution,' while making alarming assertions about the dehumanization of certain populations.

He controversially stated, 'The most surefire way to create an authoritarian regime is to dehumanize a significant portion of the population, enabling their enslavement by the state.' He absurdly equated the ostracization American conservatives supposedly face today to the experiences of Jews pre-Nazi Germany.

Racist Rhetoric and Dangerous Invocations

Lendrum's podcast has also propagated extremist beliefs. In October 2022, he suggested that the Great Replacement theory was already being enacted in European cities. Investigations by Notus and the Daily Beast uncovered hateful posts on his X account, including one from 2023 where he incited violence against protesters opposing Israel's actions in Gaza.

In this post, he wrote ominously, 'Cars are bigger and heavier than any one of these freaks. All it takes is one brave driver to do what needs to be done, then others will follow.' This rhetoric raises serious concerns about the promotion of real-world violence.

Anti-LGBTQ+ Sentiments Uncovered

The Daily Beast also reported that Lendrum’s X account has been rife with anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, referring to transgender individuals as 'child molesters' and derogatorily labeling LGBTQ+ individuals as 'freaks.' Such statements are alarming, particularly coming from a person in a significant government role.

As of now, the DHS has not issued a direct statement regarding Lendrum's offensive remarks, providing only a link to the First Amendment, which safeguards free speech. However, this situation raises critical questions about what constitutes acceptable discourse from individuals serving in high-ranking government positions.