(WXYZ) — The Michigan Chair of the GOP is issuing no apology following a contentious tweet that sparked outrage among many in Michigan.
The tweet, sent out by the official Michigan Republican Party Twitter account, alluded that gun control legislation could lead to a repeat of the Holocaust.
But, what made people more outraged was the second tweet defending the first one and then during a press conference tripling down.
"We are a different Republican party. We are not the Republican party who apologized and runs away from our positions," Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo said.
Karamo was elected last month as the new chair for the Michigan GOP. She doubled down on a tweet she sent about gun control that referenced the Holocaust and it sparked outrage for some in the Jewish community.
"Take it down. Talk to other people. To Jews. To other people who have suffered, to many other people, and really please don't offend our community," Rabbi Asher Lopatin said.
"Let me ask you this, do you speak for every Jewish person? Absolutely not. Ok, so you speak for yourself," Karamo responded.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin confronted Karamo about the tweet during the press conference, but Karamo did not back down standing firm on the tweets.
"The fact that it wasn't even taken down when I believe you had a lot of complaints shows a lack of sensitivity," the Rabbi said. "Almost a lack, I hate to say it, a lack of decency because it's exploiting the Holocaust."
"It's politically motivated and disingenuous to accuse us of trivializing the mass murder of people. That is totally disingenuous," Karamo responds.
Republican strategist Jamie Roe previously worked for the Michigan GOP and he agrees with the chair's views on gun control. The tweet, not so much.
"People made mistakes like this before. If you admit a mistake people are willing to forgive you and I hope she does admit she made a mistake here," he said.
"There are people who claim to be Republican that are also upset, so be it. They have other agendas that have nothing to do with what I stated," Karamo said. "Why are people offended? They chose to be offended in my opinion"
Karamo will lead the state's republican party through 2024.
