From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Trump video appears to tout ‘unified Reich’ if he wins presidency
A video posted to Donald Trump’s account on his social media network includes references to a “unified Reich” among hypothetical news headlines if he wins the election in November.
The headline appears among messages flashing across the screen such as “Trump wins!!” and “Economy booms!” Other headlines appear to be references to World War I.
“Industrial strength increased significantly [ineligible] by the creation of a unified Reich,” the headline reads.
The word “Reich” is often largely associated with Nazi Germany’s Third Reich, though the references in the video Trump shared appear to be a reference to the formation of the modern pan-German nation, unifying smaller states into a single Reich, or empire, in 1871.
NEW
A video posted to Donald Trump’s account on his social media network included references to a “unified Reich”, among hypothetical news headlines if he wins the election in November.
I did Nazi this coming. pic.twitter.com/h8dYbnLVyL
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 21, 2024
The 30-second video appears on Trump’s account at a time when the presumptive Republican nominee for president, while seeking to portray President Joe Biden as soft on antisemitism, has himself repeatedly faced criticism for using language and rhetoric associated with Nazi Germany.
It was posted and shared on the former president’s Truth Social account while he was on a lunch break from his Manhattan hush money trial.
“This was not a campaign video, it was created by a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word, while the President was in court,” Karoline Leavitt, the campaign press secretary, says in a statement.
