President Donald Trump's administration frequently requests that the left stop using inflammatory language, accusing them of being Nazis or white supremacists. Former MSNOW host Mehdi Hasan responded that the administration should address such concerns first.
Hasan, who founded Zeteo News, wrote in a column for The Guardian on Thursday arguing that government officials with connections to extremist movements are employed in the Trump administration.
Hasan cited recent social media posts and referenced the 1978 book Which Way, Western Man by William Gayley Simpson, noting that phrases from the book have appeared in recent government communications.
A meme posted by the Department of Homeland Security regarding Greenland asks, "Which way, American man?"
Hasan argues that this phrase echoes language that has circulated on far-right internet forums. A second meme from the White House featured the caption "Which way, Greenland man?"
According to Hasan's column, official government accounts have posted content that researchers say contains imagery and language associated with extremist movements.
The Department of Labor posted a video with the caption "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage." Another Department of Labor post stated "America is for Americans."
Hasan notes that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used the phrase "One of ours, all of yours," which Holocaust historian Page Herrlinger connected to historical references.
Hasan references White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's speech at Charlie Kirk's memorial service. Snopes analyzed the speech and noted similarities to other historical speeches.
Dalton Henry Stout, identified as founder of the Aryan Freedom Network, stated in August: "[Trump] awakened a lot of people to the issues we've been raising for years. He's the best thing that's happened to us."
Stout added, "Our side won the election."
Hasan lists several examples throughout his column of government communications and staffing decisions he says warrant scrutiny.
In his conclusion, Hasan distinguishes between political disagreement and substantive concerns about staffing and messaging. He writes: "This is about government employees and their communications, as well as the rhetoric used in official capacity."
Read the full column here.
