Donald Trump's Truth Social account has taken down a video that caused controversy because of its use of the word "reich," reports Reuters. A campaign rep says it was an unintentional reposting gaffe by a staffer who didn't notice the word with Nazi connotations.
- The clip: The 30-second video featured headlines about prosperity following an imagined Trump victory. One read, "Industrial strength significantly increased ... driven by the creation of a unified reich."
- Disavowal: "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," said Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, per Politico.
- Origin: Both Reuters and the AP report the phrase appears to be lifted from a Wikipedia entry on World War I stating that "German industrial strength and production had significantly increased after 1871, driven by the creation of a unified Reich." While the phrase in this context equates to a more generic "empire," it's more widely associated with Hitler's Third Reich.
- Team Biden: President Biden's campaign quickly seized on the posting. "Donald Trump is not playing games; he is telling America exactly what he intends to do if he regains power: rule as a dictator over a 'unified Reich,'" said spokesperson James Singer.
- The creator: The AP reports the original video was made by a meme creator who goes by Ramble_Rants and who has previously collaborated with the Trump campaign. The user defended the video on social media, saying it was about "American peace and prosperity."
(Trump
has previously been accused of borrowing Nazi phrases in regard to migrants.)