A wannabe congressman has been slammed for his son’s abhorrent social media posts that frequently expressed anti-Semitic views, including a “Heil Hitler” reference and “F—k Israel” comments.
Lander Busse — whose father Ryan Busse is running to replace Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke in Montana — is a self-proclaimed “anti-Zionist” who has mocked political support of Tel Aviv and responding to a rabbi seeking a conversation to talk out their differences with “f—k you.”
“I think any father who saw their kid posting trash like this and telling a rabbi, F-you, any responsible father would pull their kid aside and teach them a valuable life lesson,” Aaron Flint, a Republican congressional candidate running against Busse told The Post.
“I can’t believe that not only did Ryan Busse refused to do this, the Montana Democrat Party refused to do this, the Montana media has refused to cover this story — it’s appalling.”
In another post, Lander responded to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu claiming “Free Palestine is today’s version of Heil Hitler” with a video clip from the popular TV show Breaking Bad, in which a character declares “Well, Heil Hitler, b—h!”
During an exchange with Chaim Bruk, a rabbi who lives in Montana, Lander asked if he believes “Israel is an apartheid state, and do you recognize that by definition, Israel has conducted a genocide of the Palestinians?”
Bruk replied “absolutely not,” with Lander responding with a simple “aight then f–k you.”
Busse told The Post he is “vehemently opposed to anti-Semitic actions and behaviors,” adding that he knows his son “very well, he’s definitely not anti-Semitic in any way shape or form.”
However, Busse said he has never actually seen any of the social media posts from his son.
“I don’t condone any language or actions that minimize the very real tragedy of the holocaust, and I don’t condone any anti-semitic behavior or language,” Busse said.
Shortly after the interview, Lander deleted his social media posts.
Flint, a retired combat veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted Lander’s prominent role both in politics and his father’s campaign for why the controversial comments should be addressed.
“Democrats had propped him up and put him on a pedestal in front of thousands of people, and yet they say nothing about this,” Flint said, referencing a rally with socialist Senator Bernie Sanders last April where Lander was an opening speaker.
The adult son of Busse was one of 16 kids at the time who successfully sued Montana in a landmark climate change case that found the state’s energy policies violated their constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment.”
Busse even penned a personal story about the impact of the case and his son’s role as a “good leader,” adding that his family refuses to “stand by and let bad things happen.”
“As Lander said, ‘It’s ok, Dad, we are fighting for all Montanans, not just us.’ That’s the sign of a good leader right there, I thought,” Busse wrote.
Flint, who earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump and Zinke — the congressman he is seeking to replace — said the rhetoric of Busse’s son is a sign of a larger problem in Montana.
“The entire Montana Democrat Party, they want to turn Montana into Minneapolis, and this is the type of left wing lunacy that their party has now come to represent,” Flint said, adding that “it’s also another reminder that those who preach tolerance are often the least tolerant.
Busse, who lost his 2024 bid for Montana governor to Republican Greg Gianforte, is one of a handful of democrats seeking to flip Montana’s first congressional district blue.
