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Who is Frank Niceley? TN lawmaker thinks Adolf Hitler is a good example for the homeless

GOP State Senator attempts to make a point about bill criminalizing homeless camps on public property, then chooses to praise Nazi leader

It's no secret the Republican Party has an affinity for dictators and strongmen. GOP lawmakers, right-wing TV anchors, and others across the country have been caught showering praises on people like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un for years now. You can now add Adlof Hitler to that list, thanks to Tennesee State Senator Frank Niceley. The lawmaker caused a massive uproar on April 14, 2022, after praising the Nazi leader during a speech on the Senate floor. 

No one is more guilty of cozying up to dictators than Donald Trump, even amidst Putin's bloody campaign in Ukraine, the former President dubbed him a "genius". In the past, Trump has also showered praise on Korean strongman Kim Jong-un. Tucker Carlson has also routinely defended Putin on his show, so much so that the Kremlin has issued orders for Carlson to be featured on Russian state TV. 

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However, so far, almost everyone has steered clear of history's most infamous dictator - Adolf Hitler, at least until April 14. Niceley was making a speech about homelessness and thought it would be appropriate to praise Hitler to further push the bill to criminalize homeless camps on public property. It went about as well as you would expect.

Who is Frank Niceley?

Niceley has represented Tennessee's 8th District since 2012, where he has frequently made the news for his controversial antics and speeches. Originally a farmer and businessman, Niceley first ran for office in 1988, spending four years in the Tennesee House. Over a decade later, he was re-elected to the House and ended up serving there till 2012, when he was elected to the State Senate. 

In 2009, Niceley was one of the four GOP lawmakers demanding then-President Barack Obama release his birth certificate. Then in 2017, he turned heads after saying, "I think the whole premise that carbon dioxide is a pollutant is flawed. It's not a pollutant." It is reportedly one of his many rejections of widely accepted climate science facts. He also sponsored a bill that would make it illegal for platforms like Twitter and Facebook to remove political candidates for what they say.

Needless to say, Niceley appears to be a routine Trump supporter with a penchant for conspiracy theories. And judging by his April 14 speech on the Senate floor, he also shares Trump's admiration for strongmen and dictators.

'Hitler was homeless for a spell too'

The Tennesee Senate was debating a bill that eventually passed when Niceley said he wanted to share "a little history lesson on homelessness" with the chamber. He then proceeded to say, "Hitler lived on the streets for a while... and went on to lead a life that got him in the history books." He added, "So, it’s not a dead end, a lot of people can come out of homelessness and have a very productive life or in Hitler’s case a very unproductive life."

Here's the moment that has since gone viral on social media-

Eventually, Tennesee passed the bill making it a Class C Misdemeanor for camping on all public property. While that bill was the cause of much anger and debate as well, Niceley hijacked the news with his speech. Quickly, social media decided to slam him, rather than the bill. 

"TN Senator says Hitler made something of himself after being homeless & you can too. I’m going to have to apologize to the universe for this guy. Hey @MeidasTouch
not a single day passes without TN GOP embarrassing the hell out of our state," tweeted one TN state Rep. Another person slammed, "Tennessee you need to get your (poop emoji) together girl. Between Marsha Blackburn, Bill Lee & now Frank Niceley saying Hitler "went on to lead a life that got him in the history books"... You're in the running for being one of the most repugnant states in the USA. Do WAY better." A third slammed, "What the f--k kind of message is GOP State Senator from Tennessee Frank Niceley trying to send by saying that Hitler made something of himself after being homeless and you can too. How is this f----r in government!"