Labor Department’s Social Media Raises Alarm with Authoritarian-Style Messaging

In a troubling development that has sparked widespread concern, the U.S. Department of Labor’s official social media accounts have taken on a tone reminiscent of authoritarian propaganda, according to critics and former department officials.

While the agency faces scrutiny over allegations that Secretary Chavez-DeRemer misused taxpayer funds for personal travel and had an improper relationship with a subordinate, a more systemic issue has emerged in plain sight: the department’s public communication strategy.

Recent posts on the Labor Department’s Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts have dramatically shifted from their traditional focus on worker protections and labor laws to content featuring nationalist rhetoric, hero worship of President Trump, and messaging that echoes historical propaganda techniques.

One particularly controversial graphic instructs viewers to “Remember who you are, American” under the banner “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage” – phrasing that numerous social media users quickly identified as eerily similar to Nazi-era propaganda slogans like “One People, One Nation, One Leader.”

The department’s social channels now regularly feature stylized silhouettes of President Trump alongside phrases like “Americans First,” “NEVER SURRENDER,” “PATRIOTS IN CONTROL,” and declarations that “No President has cared more about hardworking Americans than President Trump.” These posts frequently include nostalgic imagery of 1940s-era white families and churchgoers, accompanied by statements about “Faith in God” and “Pride in Our Homeland” being “central tenets of the American Way of Life.”

Labor policy experts note this represents a stark departure from the department’s congressionally mandated mission to protect workers’ rights and promote workplace safety regardless of race, religion, or national origin.

The messaging has raised particular alarm among former department officials. One veteran attorney who spent 39 years with the agency expressed being “ashamed” of the current communication approach, noting that as “a first-generation son of Jewish refugees who lived through the horrors of Nazi Germany,” the similarities to historical propaganda are deeply disturbing.

Critics have pointed to several concerning elements in the messaging. The repeated references to defeating “globalists” – a term recognized by hate speech watchdogs as a coded anti-Semitic and xenophobic reference – mirror historical tactics of creating shadowy enemies. The heavy use of Christian imagery blurs separation of church and state principles, while statements like “Mass Deportations are Improving Americans’ Quality of Life” have appeared shortly after tragic incidents involving immigration enforcement.

This communication strategy exists against a backdrop of substantive policy changes. Worker advocates point out that the current administration has weakened labor protections, reduced job creation initiatives, and challenged organized labor rights. Federal workers have reported increased pressure through the Dismantle the Administrative State initiative (DOGE), with tens of thousands potentially facing evaluation based on political loyalty rather than merit.

Meanwhile, physical changes at the department’s headquarters reflect this shifting focus. Religious prayer services have been introduced, and an enormous banner featuring Trump’s face now hangs from the Frances Perkins Building, named for the pioneering first female Cabinet secretary who championed worker protections during the New Deal era.

Current employees describe a demoralized workplace culture. The contrast between the department’s historical mission of supporting all American workers and its current messaging promoting a narrower nationalist vision has created tension within the agency traditionally tasked with protecting the diverse American workforce.

As this situation continues to unfold, labor experts, historians, and government ethics specialists are raising questions about the appropriate role of federal agencies in political messaging and the potential long-term impacts on democratic institutions.