Union leaders, historians and anonymous Department of Labor staffers say recent DOL social posts — including the phrase "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage." — echo a Nazi slogan and reflect a "rhetorical shift towards white supremacy." The department says the campaign was intended to celebrate American workers. Critics point to AI-generated imagery that predominantly shows white male workers, internal unease among staff, and broader messaging that attacks "globalism" and advances misleading job-statistics claims.
Labor Department Social Posts Compared to Nazi Slogan; Unions Say "Rhetorical Shift Toward White Supremacy"
The US Department of Labor, in Washington DC on 8 January.Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Union leaders, historians and some current and former Department of Labor (DOL) staffers have accused the agency of a "rhetorical shift towards white supremacy" after recent social media posts echoed the structure of a Nazi slogan.
What Happened
The DOL published posts that included a video captioned "remember who you are, American" and the line: "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage." Users on X (formerly Twitter) and on Grok — the platform's AI tool — noted a resemblance to the Nazi phrase Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer ("one people, one realm, one leader").
Union And Expert Reactions
Christopher Hayes, a labor historian and Rutgers professor, said:
"The similarity to that Nazi slogan is bad ... 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, accused the DOL of repeatedly echoing "far-right and fascist imagery":
"When people tell you who they are, believe them."
Puneet Maharaj, executive director of National Nurses United, described the posts as serving "a fascist, white supremacist agenda" and said it was troubling to see a federal agency publishing that content.
Internal Concerns
Anonymous current and former DOL employees described the social media output as "radical and ideological," warning it could erode trust in the agency and make career staff uncomfortable. One former official who is Jewish called rhetoric condemning "globalism" an antisemitic dog whistle.
Imagery, Messaging And Context
Critics pointed out that some imagery posted by the department appears to be AI-generated and predominantly depicts white male workers. Other posts frequently invoke "Americanism," attack "globalism," and repeat claims that US job gains under Trump went only to native-born Americans — claims that outside experts say are misleading.
The Department's Response
The DOL did not address the specific comparisons but said in a statement:
"The social media campaign was created to celebrate American workers and the American Dream."
Why It Matters
Critics argue that using exclusionary language and imagery risks demonizing immigrant workers, undermining the department's credibility, and normalizing narratives that echo historical fascist propaganda. The controversy has prompted renewed scrutiny of federal social-media messaging, how AI is used in official content, and the impact of rhetoric on vulnerable workers and agency trust.
Note: This article preserves direct quotations from sources and includes the DOL's stated response.
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