NEW INTERVIEW: Jon Husted Downplays Staffer’s Nazi Imagery as “War Reenactments” That Gave a “Bad Impression”

NEW INTERVIEW: Jon Husted Downplays Staffer's Nazi Imagery as "War Reenactments" That Gave a "Bad Impression"

September 16, 2026

WASHINGTON POST: Ohio Senate campaign staffer used Nazi soldiers as profile photo

COLUMBUS, OHIO - In a new interview, Jon Husted downplayed the disturbing public conduct of his top campaign staffer as "war reenactments" that simply gave a "bad impression."

In reality, Jon Husted hired a Nazi sympathizer "wearing an SS uniform" as his political director, who used a "photo of SS soldiers as his Facebook profile photo and recently added to a public playlist of songs celebrating Rhodesia," an apartheid colony that has become a rallying symbol for white supremacists.

WATCH:

Transcript:

Husted: Well, this young man was highly recommended to us. He's a lieutenant in the National Guard, and he does war reenactments [laughs], and some of those- used some of those photos, which- which gave a very bad impression of where he might have been ideologically…

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

"It's disgusting that Jon Husted is downplaying his top campaign staffer's conduct as simply 'war reenactments' when he dressed up as a Nazi soldier, used Nazi soldiers as his profile photo, and had a Spotify playlist celebrating white supremacy. Ohioans deserve leaders who will condemn hatred in all its forms, not someone willing to make excuses for Nazi sympathizers."

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