A Ron DeSantis campaign ad with Nazi iconography has gone viral on the internet. Nate Hochman, his campaign’s speechwriter, concurred. It’s unclear whether the video was made in-house or by a fan. It has also been announced that the staffer’s employment has been terminated. There is a video superimposed on the Florida governor on a Nazi-appropriated Sonnenrad in front of marching soldiers.
The minute-long viral video included many people gleefully praising Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policies against the LGBTQ community and his numerous attacks on the current education system, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The video also portrayed former President Donald Trump negatively.
The movie ended with the Florida state flag being hoisted with a sonnenrad, a weapon commonly employed by modern neo-nazis and white supremacists.
It’s unclear whether Nate Hochman was aware of the sonnenrad in the video before retweeting it. The video he posted has subsequently been removed.
What exactly is a sonnenrad? Everything you need to know about the ancient symbol that appears in Ron DeSantis’ campaign video
The sun wheel sign was commonly used by Nazi Germany, which encompassed the SA and SS as well. The original emblem was adopted by various countries and cultures throughout history, including the Norse and Celtic tribes.
The sonnenrad emblem represents the Nazis’ efforts to create an idealized Aryan race. People may see two concentric circles with rays emitting from the innermost circle to the one outside in one version of the logo that white supremacists regularly employ. Neo-nazis often place the swastika inside the inner circle of the sonnenrad.
It is vital to highlight that Nazi Germany did not create or employ the sonnenrad Nazi image. The imagery does not always signify racism or white supremacy in many cultures. However, it appeared to be used with an offensive twist in the viral Ron DeSantis campaign ad.
After Hochman’s actions gained attention on social media, a DeSantis campaign official declared that he was no longer employed.
“Nate Hochman is no longer with the campaign, and we will not be commenting on him further,” they said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Hochman has caused controversy
It is unclear whether this was the lone violation that resulted in his dismissal. This isn’t the first time Hochman has caused controversy. During a Twitter Space last year, he lauded white nationalist Nick Fuentes, claiming that he is: “probably a better influencer than Ben Shapiro on young men who might otherwise be conservative.”
Hochman, however, eventually reversed his comments. At the time of writing this piece, he had not addressed the recent controversy in which he had found himself.
Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis’ campaign has sacked more than 40% of its initial personnel. Since May, 38 supporters have been sacked, with another 26 recently.
This is not the first time a DeSantis campaign video has upset internet users. Previously, a video mocked Trump for being pro-LGBTQ.