Did Trump's South Carolina campaign sign feature a swastika? SC Women for Harris Facebook posts explained
On October 27, 2024, X user @taylorsschumann tweeted pictures of Trump's campaign sign featuring a Swastika on it. In the tweet, Taylor mentioned:
"Seen in Barnwell, South Carolina. Shared in the SC Women for Harris Facebook Group. Local sheriff was alerted."
In addition to the X post, the original post with the same pictures came from a private Facebook group called South Carolina Women for Harris Walz. Out of the three, a zoomed-in picture of the campaign sign read:
"Paid for by Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee. A joint fundraising committee composed of and authorized by Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc., and Save America. DonaldJTrump.com."
The Trump-Vance MAGA 2024 merchandise website sells a similar-looking yard sign. However, the website doesn't sell any campaign yard signs or other products with a swastika. Hence, according to the fact-checking website Snopes, someone has either created a new signage with the swastika or altered an existing campaign sign to add the swastika.
The swastika is a symbol used in multiple Eurasian cultures and religions as well as American and African cultures. In the Western world, it is equated to being the symbol of the National Socialist German Workers' Party in the early 20th century.
While the symbol for the German Nazi Party features a 45-degree angle, it is not to be confused with the non-angled swastika, which has an auspicious importance and is considered sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
"This is upsetting material"— SC Women for Harris group member comments on allegedly altered Trump campaign sign in South Carolina
The Facebook and X posts showcasing the former president's campaign signage featuring a swastika— now debunked to have been reportedly altered— garnered a lot of attention and backlash, owing to Democrats drawing comparisons to the former president's rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi event held at the same place.
Shortly after the pictures went viral, Elizabeth Grushkowsky, a member of the South Carolina Women for Harris Walz group posted the same on Facebook writing:
"I'm so sorry this is upsetting material. I don't know who this needs to be sent to. The Barnwell County Sheriff has already been made aware of the sign."
Fact-checking website Snopes connected with Elizabeth via Messenger, who mentioned the pictures of the sign were taken on October 26, 2024, and she saw them while leaving a festival in Barnwell. She clarified that she wasn't the one who contacted the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office but her mother's former boss, who happened to be a Trump supporter.
Elizabeth mentioned that the SC Republican Party and Barnwell County Sheriff's Office were contacted regarding the issue on October 26, 2024, but she hadn't heard from the authorities till her communication with Snopes on October 28, 2024.
As per the fact-checking website, a user commented under Elizabeth's post that a representative for the Barnwell County Democratic Party informed them of their unfamiliarity with the campaign sign.
Additionally, Snopes emailed and called the Barnwell Police Department to enquire further into the matter, but failed to receive any acknowledgment or details of the authorities being aware of the sign.
In other news, Donald Trump faced backlash after multiple videos surfaced on social media from a boat parade held for the president in Jupiter, Florida, on October 13, 2024. The videos showcased the former president's supporters with Swastika flags wearing MAGA hats and saying "Heil Trump! White Power!".
However, responding to Democrats alleging the Republican candidate was a Nazi, the former president told his supporters in Georgia on October 28, 2024, that he wasn't a Nazi and that his opposition Kamala Harris was a fascist.