Politics
Hate speech in O’Donnell’s Discord forum adds pressure in tight Nevada House race
An Associated Press review found pro-Nazi posts in an online forum associated with Republican congressional candidate Marty O’Donnell, whose campaign says it has banned nearly 200 users for hateful rhetoric. O’Donnell’s Democratic opponent says the forum reflects poorly on his judgment; the campaign denies he condones antisemitism.
LAS VEGAS — Republican Marty O’Donnell’s role in an online community where users posted pro-Nazi comments is drawing scrutiny as he challenges Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in a closely contested race for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.
An Associated Press review found multiple posts in “The Marty Army,” a Discord forum moderated by O’Donnell, that included “Heil Hitler” and claims that Nazis “did some good things.” The forum has banned more than 200 users for hateful rhetoric, according to the account provided by O’Donnell’s campaign.
The campaign said it has monitored the channel for months and assigned a staff member to remove people posting racist or antisemitic content beginning in March. It said nearly 200 users had been banned, including many identified in the AP’s review.
“The notion that Marty is okay with anti-semitism is ridiculous and not backed up by any sort of facts,” a campaign spokesperson said. In a separate statement, the campaign said O’Donnell “will not tolerate the rise of anti-semitism in our country.”
David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University, said the issue warranted attention well before the campaign season’s final stretch. He said explanations that campaign officials were unaware of the content may not persuade voters in a close contest.
O’Donnell, a video game music composer, is also facing questions about a guest who appeared on his podcast. In an August 2025 episode of “The Marty O’Donnell Show,” right-wing influencer Charles Cornish Dale, known as the Raw Egg Nationalist, made anti-immigrant remarks, including that the United States had admitted “the wrong kinds of people.” O’Donnell’s team said the production staff booked Dale and that O’Donnell was unaware of controversial posts Dale had made. Those posts, reported by Jewish Insider, have since been deleted.
Lee said in a statement that O’Donnell had shown himself to be “dangerous and extreme,” adding that people who platform antisemitism, racism and hate speech should not serve in Congress.
The contest is among the races that could help determine control of the U.S. House. O’Donnell has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, according to the report; neither had responded to requests for comment. The Republican Jewish Coalition supports O’Donnell, while the Jewish Democratic Council of America supports Lee.