January 1, DeSantis Staffer Fired Amid Controversy

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In the latest wave of personnel changes, the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has dismissed a staffer who retweeted a controversial video featuring Nazi symbols superimposed over the face of DeSantis.

Nate Hochman, the dismissed staffer, had shared the contentious video before promptly deleting the post, as shown in a screenshot shared with NBC News.

A rising figure on the right, Hochman has written for reputable publications like The New York Times and National Review.

“Nate Hochman is no longer with the campaign,” confirmed an official from the DeSantis campaign.

No further comments were made on his exit.

The official did not indicate whether the inappropriate retweet played a part in Hochman’s dismissal.

The video that led to the controversy was shared from the Twitter account @desantiscams.

It closed with a depiction of DeSantis standing before a sonnenrad—a symbol adopted by the Nazis and endorsed by modern fascist sympathizers—as soldiers marched past.

Republican strategist Luke Thompson was the first to draw attention to the video.

The account in question has shared a series of similarly styled pro-DeSantis videos since its inception in March.

Hochman, last year, was reported by The Dispatch to have participated in a Twitter Space with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

In this conversation, Hochman suggested that Fuentes was “probably a better influence than Ben Shapiro on young men who might otherwise be conservative.”

Hochman later expressed regret over these comments, admitting to having said some “really stupid things” that he did not “actually believe.”

Bottom Line

This latest firing is part of a broader trend for the DeSantis campaign, which has already let go more than 40% of its initial staff amid concerns over spending and a large team size.

As reported by Politico, the campaign has terminated 38 staffers since its launch in late May, including at least 26 in a single sweep on Tuesday afternoon.

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