Republican insiders are spinning a wild tale to explain the swastika-covered flag found in a GOP lawmaker’s office.
Sources have claimed to Fox News that the controversial flag in Ohio Rep. Dave Taylor’s office only appears to contain a swastika when viewed from certain angles.
One source described the Nazi symbol visibly woven into the American flag as an “optical illusion,” while another said the swastika was “easy to miss.”
The Capitol Police launched an investigation after an American flag altered to depict a swastika was found in Taylor’s office.
Ohio political journalist D.J. Byrnes reported on Wednesday that Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had the flag “prominently displayed” in the background of a Zoom call. Politico later obtained images of the same banner.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement. “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 describes himself as a pro-life conservative who stands against “the woke indoctrination of our kids” and “liberal gun-grabbers in D.C.”
“Let me be clear – I supported Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, and will be supporting him again in 2024,” he states on his campaign website.
Taylor said he ordered a “thorough investigation” alongside Capitol Police.
Citing multiple sources, including people investigating the matter, Fox News reported that dozens of congressional offices received similar flags from a still-unidentified group earlier this year.
One congressional office told the outlet that the flag they received clearly contained a swastika, so they tossed it out.
The troubling flag was discovered just a day after a Politico bombshell exposed a slur-laden group chat of young Republican operatives.
The leaked Telegram group chat—comprised of leaders of young Republican groups across the U.S.— contained hundreds of racist and homophobic slurs, as well as declarations of love for Adolf Hitler.
“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” one group chat member wrote.
“I love Hitler,” another quipped.
