In Delaware, the most famous Democrat is President Joe Biden, who commutes between the White House and his home in that heavily Democratic state. Delaware's most famous — or infamous — Republican, meanwhile, is far-right Christian nationalist and QAnon supporter Lauren Witzke, who drew widespread condemnation in late February when she praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a symbol of Christian piety. But Witzke's praise of Putin is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her extremism and her ability to embarrass the state of Delaware.
During an appearance on the Christian Right program "Cross Talk," the 34-year-old native of Delmar, Delaware — who suffered a landslide defeat when she ran against Sen. Chris Coons in Delaware's 2020 U.S. Senate race — made it clear that she supports Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.
Lauren Witzke, the Delaware GOP's candidate for Senate in 2020, has nothing but praise for Putin and "his Christian nationalist nation": "I identify more with Putin's Christian values than I do with Joe Biden." pic.twitter.com/oQ2nhlVGCR
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 24, 2022
The QAnon Republican said, "Russia is a Christian nationalist nation…. I actually support Putin's right to protect his people and always put his people first, but also, protect our Christian values. I identify more with Putin's Christian values than I do with Joe Biden."
Witzke went on to say, "Christian nationalist countries also are a threat to the global regime — like, the Luciferian regime that wants to mash everything together. But Putin takes care of his people. He looks out for his people."
Witzke's comments were slammed by everyone from Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison to Rep. Eric Swalwell of California to Mother Jones' David Corn, who pointed out that the Delaware GOP "fully supported" her.
Indeed, Delaware Republicans passionately rallied around Witzke when she received the GOP nomination in the state's 2020 U.S. Senate race. Democrats had their share of disappointments in 2020, losing U.S. Senate races in Maine, Iowa and North Carolina. But Coons, running against Witzke, was reelected by 22%. Nominating someone as extreme as Witzke did not serve Delaware Republicans well.
"I actually support Putin's right to protect his people."
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) February 24, 2022
This bigoted, Christian nationalist backs Putin. It's quite deplorable. And a reminder: the GOP in Delaware fully supported her. https://t.co/9ycDdHZzJs
.@GOPChairwoman this is your party. Are these the Christian values your Senate candidate apparently identify with? #FraudFearFascism https://t.co/jeyCzvJjGG pic.twitter.com/3Fmfu9cpz8
— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) February 25, 2022
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the new Republican Party.
— Eleven Films (@Eleven_Films) February 25, 2022
Absolutely appalling. https://t.co/W18TsIjrTe
More Republicans rooting for Russia. Is there a single Reagan Republican who will denounce this? Or is this the new Republican Party? My comments are open. Courage is welcome. https://t.co/WMrjWoIhyM
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 24, 2022
Witzke gave Coons' reelection campaign a wealth of material to use against her. She happily accepted the endorsement of White nationalist Nick Fuentes, praised the violent Proud Boys as examples of "patriotic masculinity," called for a ten-year ban on all immigration to the United States, described Black Lives Matter as "violent terrorists," proudly said she was a "Christian nationalist," and called Coons a "Christian-hating baby killer."
Witzke is vehemently anti-gay and anti-trans, and she has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory — which claims that the United States' federal government has been taken over by an international cabal of pedophiles, child sex traffickers, Satanists and cannibals and that Donald Trump was elected in 2016 to fight the cabal. QAnon also believes that R&B superstar Beyoncé isn't really Black, but is only pretending to be Black and is really an Italian woman named Ann Marie Lastrassi who works for billionaire Democrat George Soros.
Delaware Republicans had options other than Witzke in 2020, when she ran against former U.S. Marine James DeMartino in the state's GOP U.S. Senate primary. But Witzke slammed the conservative DeMartino as a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Although the Delaware GOP endorsed DeMartino during the primary, Delaware Republicans gave Witzke the nomination and got behind her in the general election — which wasn't enough to save her from losing badly to Coons.
In 2022, Witzke continues to make the Delaware Republican Party look bad every chance she gets — and when she praised Putin during its invasion of Ukraine, Witzke did exactly that.
