Donald Trump is under intense scrutiny after Swastika flags and far-right slogans were displayed during a boat parade in his honor in Jupiter, Florida, on Sunday. Videos of the event, showing Nazi flags and slogans like “Heil Trump” and “Make America White Again,” have caused a firestorm on social media.
Images shared by Lesley Abravanel, a bystander and political commentator with 70,000 followers on platform X, showed five men aboard a boat flying Swastika flags. Among the group were two bearded men wearing sunglasses, while others covered their faces. Abravnel’s post, viewed over 1.5 million times, labeled the event “sickening” and accused Trump supporters of harboring Nazi sympathies.
An advocacy group, StopAntisemitism, identified one of the individuals on the boat as Jon Minadeo II, a known far-right extremist and leader of the Goyim Defense League (GDL), which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Near Palm Beach right now. All Nazis are Trump voters. Sickening. pic.twitter.com/EKazokbJ0W
— Lesley Abravanel 🪩 (@lesleyabravanel) October 13, 2024
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, was among those who reacted strongly to the disturbing footage, asking, “What the f*** are we even doing?” Her sentiment echoed the outrage of countless others who believe that Trump’s rhetoric has emboldened such extremist groups.
This isn’t fun to watch, but everyone needs to know what’s at stake this election.
Trump boat parade flies Swastika flag, wears “Make America White Again” hats, and salutes, “Heil Trump! White Power!”
All Trump supporters might not be Nazis, but all Nazis are Trump supporters.… pic.twitter.com/Vp0OlK46hw
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) October 14, 2024
Another viral post on X, from a user with 154k followers, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “All Trump supporters might not be Nazis, but all Nazis are Trump supporters.”
Amid the backlash, some self-identified Trump supporters claimed that the individuals displaying Nazi symbols were not true Trump backers but rather antifa imposters, referencing far-left groups known to protest against fascism. One attendee of the parade even compared the situation to the January 6 Capitol riots, accusing antifa of orchestrating the incident.
As the controversy surrounding the Trump boat parade unfolds, it has fueled the already tense political climate leading up to the next election. The incident highlights the deep divides in America and raises questions about the influence of far-right extremists within Trump’s base.
