A recent social media post by the Department of Labor faces criticism for using language reminiscent of a Nazi slogan. The post, shared on X on January 10, read: “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American.”
The post quickly sparked outrage online. Dozens of users commented and reshared the content, pointing out its unsettling similarity to a phrase widely recognized by historians and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as central to Nazi propaganda: “One People, One Realm, One Leader.”
The X post included an 11-second video showing a bust of George Washington over a black-and-white montage of iconic American paintings, including depictions of the Revolutionary War and wartime propaganda from World Wars I and II. The Department of Labor has not yet responded to requests for comment from USA TODAY.
This is not the first time the administration has been criticized for social media content and imagery that echoes symbols and slogans tied to white nationalist and Nazi ideologies. Earlier, the White House and Department of Homeland Security posted an image of a man riding through snowy mountains with a stealth bomber overhead. The text read: “We’ll have our home again,” encouraging participation in Immigration and Customs Enforcement programs.
Adam Tooze, a British historian specializing in Nazi Germany, noted on social media that the phrase originates from what he described as a “white nationalist anthem.” A review by the Southern Poverty Law Center in August 2025 also found that the Department of Homeland Security’s posts and recruitment materials frequently employ “white nationalist and anti-immigrant images and slogans.”
Controversy Over Use of American Iconography
The administration has also faced backlash for appropriating images of American history. In November 2025, descendants of Norman Rockwell publicly rebuked the Department of Homeland Security for sharing the painter’s work without permission. The agency had posted three Rockwell paintings alongside slogans like “Protect our American way of life,” “Manifest Heroism,” and a quote from President Calvin Coolidge: “Those who do not want to be partakers of the American spirit ought not to settle in America.” The family condemned the use, saying the agency misrepresented Rockwell and exploited his art “for the cause of persecution toward immigrant communities and people of color.”
The Department of Labor has also launched social media campaigns featuring Rockwell-style images, mostly depicting White men at work in various trades, with only a single post showing a non-White man. These posts, which mimic the style of 1940s and 1950s government posters, promoted initiatives like expanding apprenticeship programs and reducing foreign labor. Slogans included “Build Your Homeland’s Future!” and “Restoring the American Dream!”
The recurring pattern of imagery and language has fueled debate over the administration’s use of historical symbolism, raising concerns about the line between patriotic messaging and language reminiscent of extremist ideologies.
