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Samoa's Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt issued an apology after a video from 2007 surfaced showing him leading a group in a Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler" at a family gathering. The seven-second clip, reported by the Samoa Observer on Sunday, prompted Schmidt to publish a statement on Facebook acknowledging that his actions were inappropriate. With a population of about 221,000, Samoa was under German control early in the 20th century but lost this status after World War I began. Schmidt, who took office as prime minister in September 2025 and has Samoan and German heritage, expressed his rejection of Nazism and antisemitism while also showing support for Israel during his premiership.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
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 a video that emerged showing him making a Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler" at a family gathering in July 2007. The seven-second clip was first published by the Samoa Observer on Sunday, revealing Schmidt leading about a dozen people in the gesture while holding a microphone. In his statement released Monday, Schmidt acknowledged that the words and actions were inappropriate and could cause offense or hurt, regardless of their context at the family gathering. He reaffirmed his stance against Nazism, antisemitism, racism, and all forms of political extremism, emphasizing they do not represent his beliefs or those of Samoa’s government and people. The video was recorded when Schmidt was deputy speaker of parliament in Samoa, a country with a population of about 220,000 located between New Zealand and Hawaii.
Written for “Samoan PM Apologises Nazi Gesture” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 59128 · logged 2026-10-06
- Published
Samoa's prime minister has apologised after a video emerged of him giving a Nazi salute while saying "Heil Hitler" at a family gathering.
asserted
him → publish → gathering
In the seven-second clip filmed in July 2007, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt is seen leading about a dozen people in the salute.
asserted
Schmidt → film → salute
"Raise your right hand, Heil Hitler!" he says, then thanks the group for responding.
asserted
he → raise → group
Schmidt has acknowledged that his words and gesture "were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt", adding that the clip was recorded at a private gathering and "not intended for the public".
"I reject Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism," Schmidt said in a statement published on Facebook on Monday.
asserted
Schmidt → acknowledge → Monday
The footage was first reported by local outlet the Samoa Observer in a news story on Sunday.
asserted
footage → report → Sunday
It said the video was filmed at a Schmidt family reunion in July 2007, when Schmidt was deputy speaker of parliament and quoted a family member who said he was the master of ceremonies at the gathering.
Samoa, a tiny island nation of about 221,000 people, sits about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii.
asserted
Samoa → say → Zealand
It was under Germany's control in the early 20th century, but the colonisation ended shortly after World War One broke out.
asserted
War → end → century
Schmidt, who has Samoan and German heritage, took office as the country's eighth prime minister in September 2025.
asserted
who → have → September
He wore a Jewish prayer shawl during his swearing-in ceremony and has made clear his support for Israel during the early days of his premiership, saying that Samoa "stood with Israel".
asserted
Samoa → wear → Israel
"If people around the world don't like it, that's up to them, but Samoa stands with the land of God...
asserted
Samoa → like → God
There is only one God our country believes in, the God of Israel," he had said.
asserted
he → be → Israel
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