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This January, in a drab committee room of the New Hampshire state legislature, a Republican state lawmaker teamed up with a German Holocaust denier to propose that the state's public schools incorporate a conspiracy theory when developing their lesson plans: namely, that the Nazis' murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust was a hoax.
Though their effort failed, the incident was just the latest example of antisemitic extremism creeping further into the American political mainstream, to the point that prominent conservative voices have warned of a "cancer" destroying the pro-Trump MAGA movement from within. And in a sign of just how normalized these incidents of anti-Jewish bigotry have become, the state lawmaker responsible for the effort, Rep. Matt Sabourin dit Choinière, appears to have faced no consequences and minimal backlash from Republican leadership in New Hampshire.
The proposal has not been widely reported until now.
"It's extremely concerning," said Deborah Lipstadt, an expert on Holocaust denial at Emory University, who served in the Biden administration as a special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
A new investigation from NPR's Consider This tracks down the key players, digs into their backgrounds going back to the 1990s, and uncovers a surprising criminal case involving a Holocaust denier and a suspicious bottle of baby oil.
Here are four takeaways from our reporting:
An attempt to hijack Holocaust education exposed a pattern of antisemitism
The New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education helps set educational standards and connect public schools with teaching resources. Among the nonpartisan group's members are educators, religious leaders and a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
On Jan. 14, Democratic State Rep. Loren Selig, herself a commission member, introduced a bill to extend the commission's term for three more years.
"We anticipated the hearing for that bill would be very quick, because we couldn't imagine anyone would have an objection to extending this commission," Selig later told NPR. "Except, we were wrong."
New Hampshire State Representative Matt Sabourin dit Choinière at the 2024 Hazlitt Summit hosted by the Young Americans for Liberty Foundation in Nashville. Gage Skidmore/Flickr hide caption
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Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Moments after Selig spoke, Sabourin dit Choinière, who was elected in 2024, proposed an amendment to add a new member to the commission from an extremist group led by Germar Rudolf, a longtime Holocaust denial activist, whose claims have been repeatedly debunked. Rudolf contends — despite overwhelming evidence — that the Nazis never used gas chambers to commit mass murder.
At the invitation of Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rudolf testified at the hearing along with two other men known for their antisemitic activism.
Selig, who is Jewish, was horrified.
"Shocked would be an understatement," she later said. "I could barely speak."
Sabourin dit Choinière's amendment failed to attract any support, but was nonetheless seen as a "breakthrough" for the Holocaust denial movement.
The New Hampshire state legislature has struggled with recent incidents of antisemitic behavior, and does not appear to have imposed any formal consequences on Sabourin dit Choinière.
After Sabourin dit Choinière ignored multiple phone calls and emails requesting comment, NPR approached him at the state capitol to request an interview. "Actually, I don't have time," he said, before turning around and abruptly leaving the building.
He later wrote in an email that he stood by his proposal, saying "my position is not hatred."
On April 14, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sabourin dit Choinière posted a photo of himself presenting the amendment on Facebook. He added the caption, "ahead of our time."
A Holocaust denier, an international criminal record and a suspicious bottle of baby oil
Rudolf, NPR found, has a criminal record not just in Germany, where Holocaust denial is illegal, but also in the U.S. — for reasons that have nothing to do with his activism.
In 2020, Rudolf was convicted of open lewdness and indecent exposure in Pennsylvania after a police officer found him naked from the waist down at a children's playground around 4 a.m. Local law enforcement was familiar with Rudolf, according to trial testimony obtained by NPR, because police had previously encountered him swimming nude in a nearby river.
Rudolf insisted that he was not naked at the playground, just wearing what he called "skimpy" tiger-print shorts to exercise. He describes himself as an active triathlete and has written about receiving workout tips from David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader.
After stopping Rudolf, the police officer questioned him about one of the belongings he brought with him: a bottle of baby oil.
Rudolf claimed that he has used baby oil as his "go-to lotion" and "lubricant" to soothe his dry skin from workouts.
The jury at his trial did not buy his explanations and found him guilty. Rudolf lost a subsequent appeal and was sentenced to probation.
In 2022, he was again charged with trespassing on school grounds and disorderly conduct. He later pleaded guilty to resolve those charges.
Rudolf's criminal record could complicate his immigration status in the U.S. He became a lawful permanent resident in part because of his marriage to an American woman, but the relationship ended in divorce.
The Trump Administration has tried to deport pro-Palestinian activists who are lawful permanent residents in the U.S., arguing that they promoted antisemitism.
New Hampshire Republicans respond — after NPR's inquiries
Sabourin dit Choinière was elected to the state legislature in 2024 and is closely linked to the state's libertarian "Free State" movement. He has previously touted endorsements and high marks from prominent conservative groups such as Turning Point Action, and the state chapters of National Right to Life and Americans for Prosperity.
Turning Point Action and New Hampshire Right to Life did not respond to NPR's requests for comment.
The New Hampshire chapter of Americans for Prosperity said in a statement, "As an organization, we unequivocally oppose antisemitism in all forms, and discrimination of any kind is antithetical to everything we represent. The endorsement referenced was made during a previous election cycle. AFP-NH has not issued any endorsements for the current cycle."
Even after the failed Holocaust education proposal, Republican candidate for Congress and state Rep. Brian Cole said he was "honored" to receive Sabourin dit Choinière's endorsement.
New Hampshire state Rep. Brian Cole, who is running for U.S. Congress, said in March 2026 he was "honored" to receive an endorsement from Sabourin dit Choinière. After NPR contacted Cole for comment, Cole said he was unaware of Sabourin dit Choinière's support for Holocaust denial and rejected the endorsement. X.com hide caption
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Cole subsequently told NPR he was unaware of his colleague's support for Holocaust denial.
"Had I known of this prior, I would not have accepted or publicized the endorsement," Cole wrote in an email. "In light of this information, we have rescinded the endorsement. I unequivocally reject Holocaust denial and any form of antisemitism."
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, wrote in a statement, "There is no place for antisemitism or hate of any kind in New Hampshire, and criminal Holocaust deniers have no business serving on state commissions."
A growing "cancer" on the MAGA movement
Prominent far-right commentators known for their antisemitic diatribes — including Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes — have gained increasing popularity. Survey data from Yale University and the Manhattan Institute have suggested that antisemitism is particularly acute among young conservatives, and NPR has found that multiple Trump administration officials have links to antisemitic extremists or have promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Some prominent pro-Trump conservatives are raising the alarm about growing antisemitism on the political right.
"I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this year. "And it is growing. And it is gaining real purchase, especially with young people."
Dan Bongino, Trump's former deputy FBI director, has described antisemitism as a "cancer" on the MAGA movement, and criticized, "this portion of people who claim to be part of our movement and our cause, who think it's edgy or cool to talk about how much they hate the Jews."
