Mosque killer: I'm a socialist 'eco-fascist'

Italy's Benito Mussolini, left, with British fascist leader Oswald Mosley in a visit to Italy in 1936.

The primary suspect in the massacre Friday of 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand named a prominent British fascist leader who was allied with Italy's Benito Mussolini in the 1930s as the historical political figure with whom he most identified.

The suspect, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, published a 74-page manifesto before killing 49 people and injuring another 20 at the Christchurch mosques.

Tarrant wrote that Sir Oswald Mosley "is the person from history closest to my own beliefs."

Describing himself as a "racist," Tarrant state's he's not a conservative and could be labeled a socialist, "depending on the definition."

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Mosely, who was photographed with Mussolini on a visit to Italy in 1936, was the leader of the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s after serving as a member of Parliament.

Already, Democratic leaders, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, are casting blame on President Trump for the attacks.

In his manifesto, Tarrant describes his political ideology in a Q&A format. In summary, he says he could be described, "depending on the definition," as "right wing" as well as "left wing," and a "socialist."

He asks: "Were/are you a socialist?"

He responds: "Depending on the definition. Worker ownership of the means of production? It depends on who those workers are, their intents, who currently owns the means of production, their intents and who currently owns the state, and its intents."

He says explicitly he is not a conservative, saying "conservatism is corporatism in disguise, I want no part of it."

To the question of whether or not he is a Christian, he writes, "That is complicated."

Tarrant says he's "an actual fascist."

"I am sure the journalists will love that," he says, adding he considers himself "an Eco-fascist by nature."

Tarrant also declares that the "nation with the closest political and social values to my own is the People’s Republic of China."

He poses the question of whether he is or was a "homophobe."

"No, I simply do not care all that much what gay people do," he writes. "As long as they are loyal to their people and place their peoples well being first, then I have no issues."

'Words do have consequences'

Blumenthal reacted to the massacre on Friday.

"Words do have consequences, and we know that at the very pinnacle of power in our own country, people are talking about ‘good people on both sides,'" he said.

Blumenthal was referring to Trump’s reaction to the deadly violence in Charlottesville in August 2017 amid protests and counter-protests over the fate of a Civil War statue.

Democrats continue to push the narrative that Trump was affirming white supremacists when he said there were "good people" on both sides of the issue. However, Trump was referring to the debate over Civil War statues, and he condemned the white supremacists.

The White House reacted to leaders who cast blame on Trump for the New Zealand massacre.

It was "outrageous," the statement said, to make any connection between the "deranged individual" and the president, "who had repeatedly condemned bigotry, racism, and has made it very clear that this is a terrorist attack."