Union leaders have accused the Trump administration of a “rhetorical shift towards white supremacy” after social media posts by the US Department of Labor drew comparisons with a Nazi slogan. Recent posts from the agency include a video captioned “remember who you are, American”, with the phrase: “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.” Users of X and Grok highlighted a similarity with the Nazi slogan: “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer” (“one people, one realm, one leader”).
Christopher Hayes, a labour historian and professor at Rutgers University, expressed alarm over “the motivation behind it, the message, the sentiment and desired outcome”. Jimmy Williams Jr, general president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, said the labour department had repeatedly imitated “far-right and fascist imagery” online. Puneet Maharaj, executive director of National Nurses United, added: “It is no surprise that a fascist regime would post fascist propaganda on a fascist social media network like X, but it remains concerning to see the DOL making posts that serve a fascist, white supremacist agenda.”
The Department of Labor did not comment on the specific rhetoric but a spokesperson said the campaign was “created to celebrate American workers and the American Dream”. The campaign has triggered criticism from historians and senior labour figures, and concerned workers inside the agency. Hayes noted that Nazi propaganda featured “idealized smiling Germans with grandiose slogans” that erased “the other”, which in Germany was the Jew.
Under Trump, the labour department has published AI-generated artwork depicting only white male workers. Other posts frequently cite “Americanism”, decry “globalism” and tout misleading claims that all US job gains under Trump have gone to “native born” Americans. Maharaj said the agency’s posts formed “part of a broader rhetorical shift towards white supremacy” across federal departments. A labour department employee described the social media activity as “radical and ideological”, fearing it undermines trust in the agency.
