In the wake of escalating immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, the current administration has increasingly framed its messaging with language and visuals that resonate with right-wing nationalist groups, stirring significant public discourse. On January 9, shortly after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good, heightening community tensions, the Department of Homeland Security shared an image on social media depicting a man on horseback traversing a snowy mountain range, accompanied by the phrase, "We'll have our home again." This phrase is the recurring chorus of a song by a self-identified "folk-punk" band commonly embraced by groups such as the Proud Boys and other far-right and white supremacist organizations.
The following day, the Department of Labor posted on the platform X the statement: "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American." This provoked backlash from critics who noted similarities to the infamous Nazi slogan, "One People, One Realm, One Leader."
Further, amidst President Donald Trump's increased focus on asserting claims over Greenland, the White House released a visual on X that showed a dog sled at a fork in the trail—one path leading toward an American flag and the White House, the other toward Russian and Chinese flags, overlaid with the phrase, "Which way, Greenland Man?" This appears to be a variation of the title of a controversial white supremacist book, "Which Way Western Man?" Notably, this motif had previously surfaced in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruiting campaign last year, posing the question, "Which way, American Man?"
This series of communications renews scrutiny over a pattern observed during the administration’s second term: the strategic, although sometimes cryptic, deployment of imagery popular within the far right and white supremacist communities as part of efforts to solidify national backing for a stringent immigration crackdown. This stance is often presented as a defense of Western civilization's preservation.
The administration has faced criticism for allegedly embedding white supremacist and Nazi-like motifs into its narrative. In response, spokespersons dismiss such interpretations. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson characterized this line of critique as "boring and tired," accusing mainstream media of overthinking the intent behind these messages and urging critics to "get a grip."
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin defended the "We'll Have Our Home Again" post, explaining it as a metaphor addressing the perceived influx of "20-plus million illegal aliens invading the country." She labeled opposing interpretations as “absurd.”
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University, contested the need to utilize white supremacist-associated lexicon to advance immigration policy. He highlighted that prior administrations, such as that of Bill Clinton in the 1990s, enacted stringent immigration penalties without resorting to such language. He suggested the administration carefully calibrates its messaging, employing modified versions of white supremacist imagery to retain plausible deniability while signaling to its base.
García Hernández noted, "The imagery is not simply a reproduction of common white supremacist imagery or text, but a play on that imagery — and that gives them the breathing room they want."
While President Trump achieved re-election with considerable support from Latino, Black, and Asian voters despite his tough immigration platform, his rhetoric has historically galvanized white supremacist groups, who perceive his nationalist and anti-immigrant policies as endorsement. His public statements have included disparaging remarks about immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean and praising white immigrants in contrast to others. His administration also altered refugee policies, favoring white South Africans, citing unproven claims of discrimination against them.
Prominent backers of the president have openly embraced white nationalist themes. For example, Elon Musk, a significant donor to the 2024 campaign and head of the Department of Government Efficiency for a portion of last year, shared a post on X calling for "white solidarity" as a measure against the purported mass killing of white men, signaling agreement with an emoji.
Despite repeated accusations, some contentions about white supremacist references are challenged. After the Good shooting in Minneapolis, the phrase "One Of Ours, All Of Yours," displayed on Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's podium, circulated widely with claims it was a Nazi slogan. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center found no historical connection. DHS spokeswoman McLaughlin clarified that the phrase was meant to honor a Customs and Border Protection officer who had been shot, emphasizing solidarity among federal law enforcement.
Experts monitoring white supremacist activity, including Southern Poverty Law Center senior researcher Hannah Gais, believe the administration is aware of the implications of its messaging. Gais explained, "They know their base is this overly online right-winger who they know will go nuts if they say ‘Which Way, Western Man?’" She added that such strategies are unlikely to succeed long term, as the coded language is either too opaque or unpalatable to the broader public.