Who Is Arthur Jones and What Is a Holocaust Denier?

Arthur Jones is the only Republican running in the 2018 primary elections for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, scheduled for March 20, 2018. Running unopposed in the primaries, observers see Jones as the district's likely Republican candidate in general elections, scheduled for November 6, 2018, where he will face one of two Democrats: either incumbent Daniel Lipinski or challenger Marie Newman, as reported by Ballotpedia.

On his website, Arthur Jones includes articles that outline his views with regard to the Holocaust. One piece, entitled The Holocaust Racket, accuses survivors of the atrocities of lying for profit.

"This idea that "SIX MILLION JEWS," were killed by the National Socialist government of Germany, in World War II, is the biggest, blackest, lie in history. Other than a few PROFESSIONAL CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS, such as the late SIMON WIENSENTHAL or the current Semitic Super star, ELIE WIESEL, there is no proof such a so-called "HOLOCAUST," ever took place in Europe, against the Jews. [sic]"

"The white majority are fed up with all of these lying, cheating, thieving, warmongering, child-molesting, political pimps and whores," Arthur Jones raged at an April 2017 Kentucky rally. "With this corrupt and decadent two-party, Jew-party, queer-party system!"

The former leader of the America Nazi Party recently appeared on CNN, where he spoke with Alisyn Camerota.

"Mr. Jones, it is shocking to hear how vocally and unapologetic-ally racist you are," Alisyn Camerota stated. "Are you a Nazi?"

"Well, for the last 15, 20 years I have not had anything to do with any National Socialist organization on a formal basis," Arthur Jones responded.

"But, do you call yourself a Nazi?" the CNN anchor pressed.

"I don't call myself a Nazi. I call myself an American patriot and statesman!" Jones place emphasis upon the word "statesman."

Alisyn Camerota pointed out that the politician has been involved in antisemitism for over 30 years, his attendance at rallies conducted by neo-Nazis, his membership in the White People's Party, his affinity for "Nazi garb," and his celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday.

"You're a Nazi," Camerota concluded.

Arthur Jones reiterated that he currently holds no membership in any Nazi groups, and that he hasn't since "about 1990."

"Your website is filled with the most vile, rancid rhetoric I think I've ever read," Alisyn Camerota's voice shuddered with revulsion.

"I disagree with you," Jones' voice was strong. "It's not vile and rancid. It's the truth. I personally put that stuff on there. I personally picked out the articles on there, because they're true!"

"I can't help it if you don't want to accept the truth," Arthur Jones continued.

He went on to describe the media as going "nuts," and suggested that members' conduct might lead one to "believe that Adolf Hitler's been revived from the grave, or something."

Camerota and Jones then spoke at once.

"You are entitled to your own crackpot views," Camerota stated.

"Yes, I deny the Holocaust," Jones said. "It's an extortion racket!"

"You can have your own conspiracy theories, but you can't have your own facts," Alisyn Camerota admonished the politician, as he continued to speak over top of her. "Mr. Jones, six million Jews were killed. Adolf Hitler perpetrated a genocide. The Auschwitz death camp existed and the Nuremberg trial happened."

"It's poppycock!" Jones exclaimed. "It's a scam!"

"How do you think you're going to represent the people of Illinois, in this district," the American University graduate asked. "You have 700,000 people in your district. Seven thousand of them are Jews. How do you plan to serve them as a public servant?"

"The overwhelming majority are white, Christian patriots!" Jones almost sneered. "And I might add, black, Christian patriots; Latino, Christian patriots. They don't want anymore wars in the Middle East. The Israeli lobby controls the Congress of the United States and has sucked us into one war, after another."

Alisyn Camerota noted that the Illinois Republican Party has "disavowed" the former insurance salesman, saying that the United States has "no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones" and that the conservatives "strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for public office." She went on to outline the view at the Republican National Committee regarding "this candidate and his hateful rhetoric."

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in addition to six million Jews, over 12 million others, including homosexuals, Roma, the intellectually disabled, and Soviet citizens, among others, also perished at the hands of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Another prominent Holocaust denier, Ernst Zundel, who, in 2005, was extradited to Germany from Canada where he was convicted of "14 counts of incitement of racial hatred" and sentenced to five years in prison, died, in August 2017, as reported by the CBC.

Canadian authorities first convicted Zundel with "spreading false news," in 1985. Seven years later, the Supreme Court overturned the decision, reasoning that the conviction violated the publisher's right to freedom of speech guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as previously featured with HubPages. Later, he was deemed a "national security threat" and extradited to Germany.

A previous version of this article incorrectly identified CNN's Alisyn Camerota as Dana Bash.