The U.S. Department of Labor ignited a firestorm of criticism this weekend following a social media post that many observers said bore a disturbing resemblance to propaganda from Nazi Germany.
A Post That Prompted Immediate Backlash
On Sunday, January 11, 2026, the department's official account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, shared an 11-second video montage featuring American artwork. The clip was set to moody music and carried a stark, unifying caption: “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.” A follow-up line instructed: “Remember who you are, American.”
The language was almost instantly flagged by users, including X's own AI chatbot Grok, for its similarity to the infamous Nazi slogan “Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer.” That phrase translates to “One People, One Realm, One Leader.” Grok's analysis noted the post “echoes the Nazi slogan” and pointed out that similar phrases have been used in contexts ranging from patriotic appeals to associations with white nationalist groups.
Widespread Condemnation and Historical Parallels
The backlash was swift and severe across the social media platform. Commentator Dave Kellogg remarked tersely, “Sounds better in the original German,” directly quoting the Nazi phrase. Another user, Euan MacDonald, emphasized the need to “remember whose catchphrase this was originally.”
Many responses expressed sheer disbelief that a federal agency would use such terminology. “This is absolutely insane for the Department of Labor to post,” wrote user Isaac Caverly. “We are not one people or one heritage. We are many people, of many heritages and that is what makes us uniquely American.”
Others drew explicit and darkly sarcastic connections to history. User Ilmārs Poikāns suggested a potential sequel slogan: “'Labor creates Liberty' or 'Work earns Freedom' has that specific 1930s 'retro' energy.” Another, Erick Bretas, predicted the “Next slogan will be ‘Work makes one free’”—a clear reference to the phrase “Arbeit macht frei” infamously placed at the entrances of Nazi concentration camps.
The Core of the Controversy
At the heart of the criticism is the perception that the department, tasked with promoting the welfare of all American workers, employed exclusionary and nationalistic rhetoric. The post's call for a singular people and heritage stands in stark contrast to the diverse mosaic of the American population, a point highlighted by several critics.
Robert Kelner responded by defining his own American identity, writing, “As for me, I remember who I am. I am the grandchild of immigrants. In a nation that welcomed all four of my grandparents when they were dirt poor, with no formal education, fleeing tyranny…” This sentiment underscored a key tension: whether the government's message was meant to unify or to define Americanness in a narrow, potentially dangerous way.
As of now, the U.S. Department of Labor has not publicly explained the intent behind the post or responded to the avalanche of criticism it generated. The incident highlights the potent power of language and the extreme sensitivity required in official government communications, especially on platforms where historical context is immediately accessible and scrutinized.
