DeSantis campaign fires speechwriter who promoted video with Nazi imagery

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign fired a staffer this week who promoted Nazi imagery in a pro-DeSantis video. 

“Nate Hochman is no longer with the campaign. And we will not be commenting on him further,” a DeSantis campaign official told The Hill. 

Semafor first reported that Hochman was fired Tuesday.

Hochman was a speechwriter on the campaign and previously worked at the conservative publication The National Review. 

Axios reported Tuesday that Hochman created a video that featured DeSantis at the center of Florida’s state seal, which morphs into a Sonnenrad, the ancient European symbol that was used by the Nazis in their imagery and propaganda. According to Axios, the video was originally shared on the pro-DeSantis account @desantiscams and was retweeted by Hochman. The video was then deleted. 

DeSantis’s campaign is in reset mode amid struggles to gain traction against former President Trump. On Tuesday, the governor’s campaign confirmed it laid off 38 staffers “following a top-to-bottom review of our organization.”