...
By Alia Shoaib
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A Republican congressman has denounced a “vile” flag bearing a swastika that was on display in his Capitol Hill office.
Representative Dave Taylor of Ohio said that he has directed the United States Capitol Police to investigate “vandalism” in his office.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office. The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms," Taylor said in a statement.
Read More on Politics
Newsweek reached out to the Capitol Police for comment on Thursday via email.
Why It Matters
The discovery comes amid heightened scrutiny of far-right imagery and rhetoric linked to some corners of the Republican Party, following a Politico report this week revealing extreme rhetoric in a group chat of Young Republicans.
What To Know
An image surfaced on X on Wednesday that appeared to show a small American flag altered to include a red swastika among its stripes pinned on a board in Taylor’s office in Washington, D.C.
The image was publicized when an X account called The Rooster, which comments on Ohio politics, shared a screengrab from a virtual meeting that appeared to show one of Taylor’s staffers, Angelo Elia, sitting in front of the flag.
"A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today," the account wrote. "Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background."
At this time, it is not clear if Elia has any connection to the display.
The discovery of the flag comes after Politico published a bombshell report detailing extensive messages in a Telegram group chat in which Young Republicans made racist comments, joked about gas chambers and praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The exchanges, sent over the course of seven months, were between a dozen Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.
Taylor said that an investigation by the Capitol Police remains ongoing and that no further comment will be provided until it has been completed.
The board of directors of the Young Republicans National Federation said it was "appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article."
...
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson from Representative Dave Taylor’s office told Politico that the congressman believes that the swastika is the result of “foul play or vandalism.”
What Happens Next
Taylor said that the Capitol Police is investigating the incident.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines