Nazi Meme Blasts Rubio’s TOP Aide

man in suit speaking at podium — Photo: Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock

An ambitious young speechwriter lost his job after a single video linked his candidate to Nazi-linked imagery—and the fallout still echoes.

Story Snapshot

The campaign confirmed Nate Hochman was no longer employed after the video episode.
Reports said the clip featured a Sonnenrad, a symbol tied to Nazi and white supremacist imagery.
Coverage said Hochman shared or retweeted the clip before deleting it.
Hochman later denied making the video and said he un-retweeted it quickly.

What Happened And Why It Blew Up

The Ron DeSantis presidential campaign said in late July 2023 that speechwriter Nate Hochman was “no longer with the campaign.” The public statement stopped there. Reporters tied his firing to a short online video that used a Sonnenrad, a symbol linked to Nazi and white supremacist movements. Stories said Hochman shared or retweeted the clip before it was deleted. The symbol’s presence, not the video length, set off alarms because symbols speak faster than press releases.

Axios reported that Hochman helped make the video and then boosted it, while the campaign kept quiet on details. Other outlets focused on the fact that he pushed out content with Nazi-linked imagery. The same day, the campaign was also cutting staff to “streamline operations,” which let some frame the split as part of a larger downsizing. Many readers saw one clear cause: Nazi symbolism appeared, a staffer shared it, and a job ended.

The Staffer’s Pushback And The Gray Areas

Nate Hochman later pushed back. He said he did not make the video and that he removed his retweet once he learned what the Sonnenrad meant. He said he then alerted his bosses. He called claims that he knowingly promoted Nazi imagery “categorically false.” That account matches a practical rule many conservatives expect: own an error, fix it fast, tell your boss. The open question is whether the error or the optics drove the decision to cut ties.

Several reports also noted uncertainty about authorship and timing. Some said he had a hand in production. Others said it was not clear who first made the video. The campaign never released a detailed reason or an internal memo. In politics, silence can be a strategy. When a brand faces a hot symbol, swift action can end the story faster than a footnoted report. That may be smart crisis control, but it leaves gaps for critics to fill.

Why Symbols Decide Careers In 10 Seconds

Campaigns treat staff social media as both policy and billboard. A single post becomes a proxy for judgment. The Sonnenrad carries a heavy, ugly history. Voters do not parse intent at highway speed; they react to what flashes by. That is why leaders demand process: content approval, second eyes, and a ban on freelance “edgy” memes. When those guardrails fail, discipline follows, sometimes even if a mistake was brief and unintentional. Donors and voters want steadiness, not chaos.

Nate Hochman, a former speechwriter for Ron DeSantis, was indeed fired after promoting a video featuring the Sonnenrad symbol, a Norse symbol frequently appropriated by neo-Nazis and white supremacists .

The claim about his hiring by the State Department as deputy director of… https://t.co/1grZHiWZ0T

— THE WORLD CORRESPONDENT (@TheWorldCorresp) September 6, 2026

The conservative common-sense test applies here. If a staffer does not know a symbol’s meaning, do they have the judgment to post it? If a campaign cannot prevent that post, does it run a tight ship? The firm response answered both. The campaign drew a hard line and moved on. That serves the candidate and the mission. At the same time, it is fair to note that lack of a clear record leaves room for claims of overreach or blame-shifting. Both truths can exist in one fast decision.

What This Tells Us About Running A Serious Operation

Three lessons stand out. First, process saves jobs. Written rules, pre-approval for content, and a ban on off-the-cuff meme-making prevent disasters. Second, speed matters. The campaign cut ties quickly and stopped the bleeding. Third, clarity helps. A brief, factual explanation—whether it was about content, procedure, or layoffs—could have closed debate sooner. Future teams should post clear social rules, enforce them, and publish them internally so everyone knows the line before they cross it.