Missouri Democrat House candidate Tracey Steele recently addressed his No Kings rally participation in an email interview with The Heartlander, but sidestepped questions about his implicit approval of comparing Trump and Republicans to Nazis and fascists.

Steele, 53, an attorney and former TV producer, announced his candidacy for Missouri’s state House District 12 on July 30 for the general election in November 2026.

After he posted comments and photos the day after attending an Oct. 18 No Kings rally in Kansas City, The Heartlander asked Steele if he’d be willing to answer some questions about his views, comments and photos.

When asked about featuring a photo of a protestor holding a sign saying, “All my friends hate Nazis,” Steele avoided a direct answer as to whether he believes Trump or his administration are like Nazis, instead stating, “I agree that I hate Nazis.” ​

However, it’s not the first time the political hopeful has compared Republicans to Nazis.

Steele shared a Bluesky post earlier this year from New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that read, “One thing about me is that I will fight Nazis until I’m six feet in the ground.” She was criticizing a wave to the crowd Elon Musk made while speaking at President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January – a gesture even the ADL said was “not a Nazi salute.”

Three months later Steele reposted a meme directly comparing Trump’s MAGA movement to The Taliban.

Steele also told The Heartlander the federal government’s actions “echo the tactics of fascist regimes of the past,” but stopped short of explicitly labeling Trump or his administration fascist.

“I believe in the democratic principles this nation was built on, not the violent, illegal and immoral measures being employed by the federal government,” he said.

However, after a dramatic rise in left-wing violence against Trump and Republicans – including the near assassination of Trump himself in 2024 and the murder of Charlie Kirk in September – critics have sharply condemned the use of inflammatory Nazi rhetoric in political discourse.

Notably, Steele’s Bluesky profile contains a banner image of superman punching a bad guy wearing a Nazi badge.

The interview with Steele also touched on the term “anti-fascist,” historically linked to Marxist and socialist movements. ​Steele again did not directly address the question, but praised the U.S. armed forces of World War II as “the greatest anti-fascist force in history.”

He then posed a rhetorical question: “If you aren’t anti-fascist, doesn’t that suggest you’re pro-fascist?”

Steele’s previous use of the phrase “I have friends everywhere” was also questioned. ​

The slogan, which has appeared at Antifa rallies and contexts, is a pop culture reference to the  sci-fi show Andor about a Star Wars-type rebellion.

Steele explained the phrase is meant to counter the isolation and intimidation tactics of authoritarian regimes, but he did not address its connection to Antifa directly.

Steele also was asked about a comment he made on his Bluesky account suggesting Tesla vandalism might have been a scheme by Musk, the car company’s CEO, to generate sympathy.

“Am I crazy to think there’s a non-zero chance the Tesla fires are some crazy scheme by Elon to gain sympathy?” Steele wrote on Bluesky.

Steele claims in his email response to The Heartlander he didn’t recall the comment, but said he suspected it was a joke, adding that humor has long been a tool of political dissent in America.

Yet, critics may question whether such remarks are appropriate for a political candidate, especially given the serious implications of such an accusation.

When asked how much of the government he believes Trump controls, Steele criticized the president for rising consumer prices, healthcare cuts and tax breaks for billionaires.

Steele neglected to mention anything extralegal coming out of the Trump administration that would characterize it as “authoritarian,” however.

He also accused Missouri’s Republican leadership of following Trump’s “every command,” mentioning attempts to redistrict Congress.

Steele likely means redistricting plans the GOP favors that would also disallow the counting of non-citizens for the purposes of apportionment in Congress, as well as the pending case before the Supreme Court that could stop race-based congressional districts.

When questioned about whether Trump is fulfilling the will of the voters who supported him, Steele labeled the president a “conman” who built his business career on “breaking promises.” ​

He criticized Trump tariffs for driving up prices and claimed Trump’s immigration policies target vulnerable individuals rather than violent criminals, which Steele implied violated a Trump promise.

Throughout the interview, Steele’s responses often veered into broader critiques of Trump and the Republican Party. He didn’t directly address the questions posed about over-the-top rhetoric about Nazis, authoritarianism and fascists used in the context of the No Kings rally.

His remarks at times seemed to imply controversial positions without explicitly stating them, leaving room for interpretation.

Full transcript of email interview:

Q: In your Facebook post on the No Kings Rally, you describe the Trump administration as an “authoritarian regime currently in control of our government.” How much of the government do you believe the Trump administration controls?

A: Donald Trump bears full responsibility for the actions of the current federal government and the consequences of those actions, including rising consumer prices and the disastrous ag market collapse due to his tariffs, the millions of people who will lose healthcare due to his cuts to Medicaid and Obamacare (including many rural Missourians who rely on hospitals that are threatened with closure), and the massive tax cuts for billionaires, just to name a few.  At the state level, we have a Governor and a supermajority in the General Assembly willing to jump at President Trump’s every command – just look at their attempt to rig the 2026 Congressional elections through an illegal redistricting scheme to save the Republican majority in the U.S. House.  I’m running for the Missouri House to stand tall for the people of the 12th District, not the demands of a billionaire in Washington.

Q: To what extent do you believe President Trump is carrying out the will of those who elected him in November?

A: Donald Trump’s business career was built on breaking promises.  He’s a conman.  He convinced many voters they were going to get lower taxes and more jobs and, instead, he imposed extreme tariffs that are driving prices through the roof while those promised jobs are nowhere to be found.  He also promised to catch and deport violent criminals, the “worst of the worst”, and instead his masked ICE agents are grabbing grandmothers off the street.  I believe people want a return to common sense values:  follow through on your promises; treat everyone like human beings; take care of your family, your friends, and your neighbors, and help them when they need a hand; and don’t rig the system in favor of the richest of the rich.

Q: What specific damage do you believe the Trump administration has caused the nation? Are the courts, Congress etc. working in a normal fashion?

A: The Founders knew what would happen if the executive branch accumulated too much power but they expected the legislative and judicial branches to keep the President in check.

Q: One of the protestor signs you feature in your Facebook post says, “All my friends hate nazis.” Do you believe that Trump or others in his administration are like Nazis? What about the sign do you agree?

A: I agree that I hate Nazis.  In the photo you referenced, you may also notice the many American flags displayed.  The people who attended those rallies are patriots and, like them, I believe in the democratic principles this nation was built on, not the violent, illegal and immoral measures being employed by the federal government, many of which echo the tactics of fascist regimes of the past.

Q: Historically, the term anti-fascist has been associated with Marxist and socialist resistance. What makes this time different? Do you think Antifa and anti-fascist are pretty much the same thing?

A: The United States armed forces of the World War II era were the greatest anti-fascist force in history. If you aren’t anti-fascist, doesn’t that suggest you’re pro-fascist?

Q: You’ve used the term “I have friends everywhere.” Can you explain what you mean?

A: Authoritarian regimes have always relied on intimidation and isolation to impose their will.  Those four words – “I have friends everywhere” – are a great way to remind us that we’re not alone. 

Q: You’ve said you’re 100% certain that the Tesla fires were schemes by Elon Musk to generate sympathy. Are you certain about that?

A: I don’t recall that comment, but I suspect that was a joke. We have a rich tradition in America of using humor as a tool of political dissent, dating back to Ben Franklin.  The inflatable frogs and other characters at the rallies this weekend are just the latest example, but you also saw that those rallies were peaceful.  The energy was positive.  Contrast that with the images of masked federal agents and the deployment of troops to American cities.