Samoa PM Apologises After Old Footage Shows Nazi Salute at Family Event

Samoa's prime minister, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, has issued a public apology after a video surfaced showing him performing a Nazi salute and uttering the phrase "Heil Hitler" during a family gathering nearly two decades ago.

The footage, which runs for roughly seven seconds, was filmed in July 2007 and shows Schmidt leading around a dozen people in the gesture. In the clip, he instructs those present to raise their right hands before making the exclamation, and then thanks the group for complying.

The video was first brought to public attention by the Samoa Observer, which reported on it in a news story on Sunday. According to the local outlet, the recording was made at a Schmidt family reunion in July 2007, at a time when Schmidt was serving as deputy speaker of the country's parliament.

The Samoa Observer also quoted a family member who said Schmidt had been acting as master of ceremonies at the gathering. The context of the event as a private family occasion has been emphasised by the prime minister in his response to the controversy.

In a statement published on Facebook on Monday, Schmidt acknowledged that his words and actions in the clip "were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt". He noted that the recording was made at a private gathering and was "not intended for the public".

The prime minister went further in his apology, stating: "I reject Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism." The statement appears aimed at distancing himself from the ideology associated with the salute and its historical connotations.

The emergence of the video comes as a significant embarrassment for Schmidt, who took office as Samoa's eighth prime minister in September 2025. He has Samoan and German heritage, a background that adds a layer of complexity to the controversy given Germany's historical association with the Nazi regime.

Samoa, a small island nation with a population of approximately 221,000, is located roughly halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The country was under German colonial control in the early 20th century, a period that ended shortly after the outbreak of World War One.

That colonial history means many Samoan families have German ancestry, and Schmidt's own mixed heritage reflects this legacy. However, the Nazi era in Germany occurred decades after Samoa ceased to be a German colony, and the salute and phrase in the video are associated with the regime of Adolf Hitler, which came to power in 1933.

Since becoming prime minister, Schmidt has taken a notably pro-Israel stance. During his swearing-in ceremony, he wore a Jewish prayer shawl, a religious garment known as a tallit, in a visible expression of support for the Jewish state.

In the early days of his premiership, Schmidt made clear his position on Israel, saying that Samoa "stood with Israel". He was quoted as saying: "If people around the world don't like it, that's up to them, but Samoa stands with the land of God... There is only one God our country believes in, the God of Israel."

That outspoken support for Israel makes the resurfacing of the Nazi salute footage particularly sensitive. The salute and the accompanying phrase are directly associated with the persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust, and any association with such imagery can cause deep offence, especially given Schmidt's stated positions.

The timing of the video's emergence, more than 18 years after it was filmed, raises questions about why it has come to light now. The Samoa Observer's report on Sunday was followed by Schmidt's apology on Monday, suggesting a rapid response aimed at containing the fallout.

Political analysts in the Pacific region may view the incident as a test of Schmidt's leadership, particularly in terms of how he handles scrutiny over past behaviour. The apology appears designed to draw a clear line between a private moment from his time as deputy speaker and his current role as head of government.

The use of "Heil Hitler" and the Nazi salute are illegal in some countries, including Germany, where such gestures are treated as hate crimes. In Samoa, however, there is no indication that any legal action is being considered, and the focus remains on the political and social implications of the footage.

Public reaction within Samoa and among the Samoan diaspora has yet to be fully gauged. However, the prime minister's statement on Facebook provides a direct channel of communication to citizens and allows him to frame the incident as a lapse in judgment rather than an expression of genuine belief.

Schmidt's apology also seeks to reaffirm his rejection of extremism, potentially to reassure international partners and domestic constituents. By listing Nazism, antisemitism, racism, and political extremism as things he rejects, he is attempting to distance himself from any ideology that the video might appear to endorse.

The controversy is likely to linger, given the viral nature of such footage and the sensitivity of the symbols involved. For a leader who has positioned himself as a supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, the contrast between his current stance and the 2007 clip presents a narrative challenge that his opponents may seek to exploit.

As prime minister of a small Pacific nation, Schmidt's actions are closely watched both at home and abroad. The incident underscores how historical gestures and remarks can resurface in the digital age, even from private gatherings, and the impact they can have on public trust and international perception.