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Samoa’s Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt apologized for leading a Nazi salute at a family gathering in 2007 when the video surfaced recently. The seven-second clip shows Schmidt instructing attendees to raise their right hands and say “Heil Hitler.” After the Samoa Observer published the footage, Schmidt acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate regardless of intent and emphasized his opposition to Nazism and antisemitism. Academics criticized the incident, with historian Richard Evans describing it as shocking and disturbing.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, the Prime Minister of Samoa, apologized for using the Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler" during a family gathering on Savai'i Island in July 2007, after a video resurfaced. The seven-second clip shows Schmidt leading the gesture at a family reunion when he was an MP and deputy speaker of parliament. He stated that the words and actions were inappropriate, causing offense and hurt, and emphasized his rejection of Nazism, antisemitism, racism, and political extremism. The Samoa Observer published the video on Monday, prompting Radio New Zealand to independently verify its authenticity. Schmidt had previously expressed strong support for Israel and planned to open an embassy in Jerusalem by the end of that year.
Written for “Samoan PM Apologizes Nazi Salute Video” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans left for article 56757 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-05
Claims extracted
14
claim-shaped sentences
Uncertain
14%
2 of 14 hedged
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Correction & hedging signals
60.3
corrections and hedging in what we collected;
not a measure of accuracy
Outlets on this story
4
Politics
Narrative spread
1
articles carrying this framing
Samoa’s Prime Minister La’auli Leuatea Schmidt has apologised after previously unseen video showed him leading a Nazi salute and saying “Heil Hitler” at a family gathering.
asserted
him → apologise → gathering
Schmidt issued the apology on Monday after the Samoa Observer, a local newspaper, published the seven-second clip the previous day.
asserted
Observer → issue → clip
The footage was recorded at a Schmidt family reunion on the island of Savai‘i in July 2007, when he was an MP and deputy speaker of parliament.
asserted
he → record → parliament
In the video, Schmidt is holding a microphone as he leads a “hip hip” exchange with the group before telling those present to raise their right hands and say “Heil Hitler”.
asserted
he → hold → Hitler
About a dozen people visible in the footage appear to follow him.
Radio New Zealand said it had independently verified the footage through its correspondent in Samoa.
asserted
it → appear → Samoa
Schmidt said on Monday that the words and gesture were inappropriate regardless of what was intended at the gathering and apologised for the offence they could cause.
uncertain
they → say → offence
“I reject Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism,” he said, adding that the episode did not represent his beliefs or the values of Samoa’s government and people.
asserted
episode → reject → government
The apology followed criticism from academics contacted by the Samoa Observer.
asserted
apology → follow → Observer
Richard Evans, a historian of Nazi Germany, told the Samoa Observer by email that the footage was “shocking and disturbing”.
asserted
footage → tell → email
The paper also quoted University of Canterbury academic Anne-Marie Brady as saying Schmidt should explain and apologise.
asserted
Schmidt → quote → Brady
Schmidt, who became prime minister in 2025, has made strong public expressions of support for Israel.
asserted
who → become → Israel
He wore a Jewish prayer shawl at his swearing-in, where a shofar, a horn used in Jewish religious ceremonies, was sounded.
asserted
shofar → wear → ceremonies
He has also pledged to open a Samoan embassy in Jerusalem before the end of 2026, a step taken by only a handful of countries because of the city’s disputed status and Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
uncertain
He → pledge → state
In his Monday statement, Schmidt said he considered the controversy addressed and would focus on the country’s economic and social challenges.
asserted
controversy → say → challenges
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