Republican State Senator Anthony Kern has been banned from using the state Capitol's video studio after participating in a remote interview with Stew Peters, a notorious antisemite. Kim Quintero, spokesperson for Republican Senate President Warren Petersen, announced the ban, emphasizing that Kern's privileges to use state resources for interviews have been revoked due to his controversial choice of platform.

Petersen, who manages Senate operations, made the decision after Kern's May 1 appearance on the "Stew Peters Show," a program widely known for spreading antisemitic and Holocaust-denying rhetoric. Peters often makes extreme claims, including denying the existence of Auschwitz and suggesting the Holocaust was exaggerated. His inflammatory statements are broadcast to a large audience via social media channels, promoting harmful conspiracy theories.

Kern joined Peters to discuss a "Drag Story Hour" event hosted by a Democratic lawmaker at the House of Representatives. Their conversation mixed campaign politics with Christian nationalism, with Kern fervently declaring that "God is raising up Donald Trump and Anthony Kern and Stew Peters" to speak out. Peters, known for promoting extremist views, even questioned whether Republican House Speaker Ben Toma, who allowed the event to occur, could be a pedophile.

Kern, who has been charged in connection with the "fake electors" scheme to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 defeat in Arizona, defended his appearance on Peters' show. In response to questions about the Senate's punishment, he criticized the media, stating that they "don't respect the American flag as much as Arizonans do."

Petersen's ban on Kern aims to uphold the Senate's integrity and prevent the dissemination of extremist views through state resources. However, Kern's appearance on the controversial platform reflects a deeper ideological divide within the Arizona Republican Party, where other prominent figures like Kari Lake, Paul Gosar, and Wendy Rogers have also appeared on Peters' show. Their participation has further polarized the political environment, raising concerns about the normalization of extremist rhetoric and its impact on public discourse.