Wisconsin congressional candidate arrested, tirade over Israel

MEQUON, Wis. - A candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District was arrested after he was caught on video shouting obscenities about Israel at a person in a gas station parking lot.

Mequon investigation

What happened:

It happened at around 8:50 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. Mequon police responded to a report of a road rage and disorderly conduct incident that happened at the Mobil Gas Station at the corner of Mequon and Wauwatosa roads.

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The initial investigation revealed that a 54-year-old man from Mequon and a 40-year-old man from Mequon were involved in a road rage interaction on Mequon Road, which allegedly included obscene gestures and dangerous driving. Both men entered the gas station parking lot, where police said the 54-year-old man used profane language and made anti-Semitic statements.

FOX6 News later confirmed that the man shouting the obscenities was 54-year-old Matthew Arndt, a Green Party candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District. He was later arrested for disorderly conduct with a hate crime enhancer. 

‘F*** Israel’

What they're saying:

The interaction at the gas station was caught on video. 

"I'm running for Congress here in the 6th District, and f*** Israel. Go f*** yourself," Arndt is heard saying in the video. "The whole country's against you, you piece of s***."

Arndt also shouted "free Palestine." The man who took the video said he thinks a bumper sticker – which reads "F*** Hamas" with the flag of Israel in place of two letters – on his car is what triggered it all.

FOX6 News edited the video for profanity; you can watch it in full below. FOX6's Jason Calvi shared the uncensored footage on his X page. 

Matthew Arndt speaks

What they're saying:

Arndt agreed to speak to FOX6 News about the incident. He said his words were not directed at Jewish people but at the country of Israel. He issued an apology for his behavior and said he "messed up" but "the message stands."

A portion of the interview, lightly edited for clarity, can be read here:

Arndt: "This attack isn't directed at Jewish people. This attack was directed at the country of Israel. Everybody has equal rights in this country. Doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, unaffiliated, Hindu, whatsoever. Everybody has the same constitutional rights. If I were to win this district, I will stand up for everybody. I will represent Jewish people. I will represent Muslims, Christians, the unaffiliated. They all get equal protection under the law. This is not what this is about. I am not anti-anyone. I am anti-Israel, and I am anti the Israel government." 
Kraemer: "What about that video, that 30 seconds in which you are cursing at this person, again after something happened?"
Arndt: "I attacked the nation of Israel. I did not attack this person."
Kraemer: "You said, 'F you', to this guy several times."
Arndt: "I've said that to probably other people when I've got into altercations. I've said that to people when I've played sports and been in the locker room, OK? If somebody is going to threaten you and follow you, I didn't follow him. He followed me. Once again, I didn't follow him. He followed me. The video clearly shows that, right?"

Official statements

What they're saying:

Wisconsin Green Party:

"The Wisconsin Green Party Coordinating Council has seen the video involving Matthew Arndt. The Wisconsin Green Party stands firmly for Palestinian human rights and an end to U.S. support for the war in Gaza. Shouting obscenities at someone in a parking lot doesn't advance that cause. We've spoken with Matthew, and he said he will address this directly. The Coordinating Council will wait for the police report before commenting further on what happened."

Brad Smith, Democrat running for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District:

"We are disappointed by the behavior of Matthew Arndt in this week’s incident in Mequon. The vitriol and vulgarity he used, particularly in the presence of a child, is unacceptable. As an adult, he should understand his responsibility to set a better example for our children. As someone running for higher office, he also missed the opportunity to demonstrate his ability to treat everyone with respect and to manage his emotions appropriately." 

FOX6 News also reached out to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and each candidate in the race for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District. This story will be updated if/when additional statements are provided.

Police tips

What's next:

Investigative reports will be forwarded to the Ozaukee County District Attorney's Office in the coming days for a charging review.

What you can do:

Anyone who witnessed or has video of the dangerous driving behavior is asked to contact the Mequon Police Department at 262-242-3500.

Editor's note: This story was updated to add additional information, statements and video.

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