Missouri GOP rejects filing fee of candidate who once said ‘Hitler was right’

The Missouri Republican Party on Tuesday announced that it had rejected the filing fee for conservative radio host Steve West due to his “vile” past statements.

“Today the Missouri Republican Party has rejected the filing fee of Steve West, who sought to run for office as a member of the GOP,” the Missouri GOP said in a statement.

“West’s past statements are vile and conflict with the fundamental values of our platform,” the party added. “The Missouri Republican Party believes there is no room for hate and divisiveness and the Missouri Republican Party will not associate with anyone who promotes these abhorrent ideas.”

West is running for the Missouri House of Representatives.

West is known for spreading conspiracy theories as well as antisemitic, Islamophobic and homophobic statements on his radio show. In one notable instance, West said that “Hitler was right” about who was responsible for what occurred in Germany before WWII.

He has also spread anti-vaccine rhetoric, making misleading and baseless claims about the effects that immunization can have.

In both 2018 and 2020, West won the Missouri House primary election in the 15th District but lost to the Democratic candidate. In 2018, the Missouri GOP also condemned West’s past comments, calling them “disgusting.”

West’s own children have also spoken out against him, urging voters not to pick him. In 2018, his daughter Emily West told The Kansas City Star, “I can’t imagine him being in any level of government.” His son Andy West said his father was a “fanatic” and that his ideology was of “pure hatred.”

West has previously defended himself by arguing that he is “not running as a radio show host, I’m running for state representative.”

The Hill has reached out to West for comment.