Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH) said the Capitol Police launched an investigation after a Zoom call caught an American flag depicting a swastika in his office.
The Rooster published a photo of Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, taken during a Zoom call. In the background, alongside memes of Ohio, an American flag could be seen with the stripes altered to make a swastika. Taylor was quick to decry the symbol and announced that he “directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol police, which remains ongoing,” as soon as he learned about its placement.
“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,” he said in a statement.
Rebecca Thompson, Taylor’s communications director, described the placement of the flag in his office as “vile vandalism.”
Capitol police couldn’t be reached for comment due to the government shutdown.
The incident was quickly picked up by Democrats, who have latched on to a story from Politico about a Telegram group chat in which Young Republicans privately joked about the Holocaust and Adolf Hitler. Taylor’s X account was bombarded with comments calling him a Nazi.
The altered flag was also denounced by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at a Thursday press conference. He praised Taylor for reporting the flag to Capitol police.
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“I would say, obviously, that is not the principles of the Republican Party. You want me to articulate them for you right now? Individual freedom, limited government, rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, human dignity, the things that lead to human flourishing,” Johnson said.
“We have stood against that, we fought the Nazis, we’ve defended that evil ideology,” he continued, misspeaking, apparently meaning to say “defeated.” “We roundly condemn it, and anybody, in any party that espouses it; we’re opposing them.”
