Piute County Commissioner Likens Herbert Mask Order To Hitler

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Piute County Commissioner Darin Bushman was criticized by local and state officials after he compared Gov. Gary Herbert to Adolf Hitler in a tweet after the governor approved mandatory face mask orders from two Utah counties.

“Hang on friends, it won’t be long before you are required to do the Sieg Heil salute to Herbert,” Bushman’s tweet said. “Welcome to Utah now extend your right arm straight at 45 degrees keeping your hand parallel to your arm and offer your ‘Heil Herbert,’” the tweet said.

Bushman sent the tweet Thursday with text and a photo of people doing the Nazi salute. It also included #nazi, #masks, #utpol and @GovHerbert. It was later deleted.

Bushman tweeted, “Sorry if you found my tweet offensive. I have removed it so as not to further offend. My apologies.”

While I appreciate your input, I have no intention of resigning. Thank you.

— Darin Bushman – (Personal Account) (@darinbushman) June 26, 2020

Herbert’s office released a long statement responding to the posts.

“We recognize that there are strong disagreements about policy, but we expect civility in our public discourse,” the statement said. “Drawing comparisons between a widely accepted public health practice during a pandemic and Hitler’s brutal authoritarianism is beyond the pale. It can only have the effect of polarizing an important and substantive policy debate. And, as has been recognized by leaders in Utah’s Jewish community, it grossly trivializes the experience of the Holocaust.”

Chase Thomas, executive director at Alliance for a Better Utah, also issued a statement saying Bushman should resign.

“Commissioner Bushman’s horrific comparison of wearing a mask to Nazi Germany makes it clear that he lacks the moral compass needed to serve as a public official in Utah,” Thomas said. “He did not apologize for or even recant his comments. Bushman’s comments are deeply disturbing and offensive, and they are serious enough that he should remove himself from office.”

Bushman responded to his own tweet saying he had no intention to resign.

In another tweet, he said, “Would it be better to tweet a bunch of Mormon scriptures and tell you you should wear masks because the church think (sic) so? Would that set (sic) better?”

Bushman’s tweets came after Herbert approved requests from Salt Lake County and Summit County that require wearing face masks while in public on Thursday.

The governor’s statement said, “The simple courtesy of wearing a mask when social distancing is not possible may be the least invasive way of stopping the spread of the virus while opening up our economy. Studies are showing that mutual mask wearing can drive the transmission rate to nearly zero.”

The Utah Department of Health announced a record daily increase of positive coronavirus cases – 676 — on Friday. Cases have been spiking across Utah over the last few weeks.

State, local and other health agencies have strongly recommended people wear face masks as the single most important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.