Marco Rubio is facing renewed questions over the background of a senior State Department aide now helping shape his policy messaging. The scrutiny centers on Nate Hochman, whose 2023 exit from Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign followed controversy over a pro-DeSantis video containing a symbol associated with Nazis and white supremacists.
Marco Rubio’s aide Nate Hochman was fired over a video featuring a Nazi-linked symbol
Hochman now serves as deputy director of the State Department’s policy planning office, the New York Times reported. His email signature also identifies him as Rubio’s chief speechwriter. The appointment has revived scrutiny of Hochman’s 2023 work for DeSantis.
Axios reported at the time that Hochman created and circulated a pro-DeSantis video featuring the Sonnenrad, or Black Sun. The clip ended with DeSantis’ face placed inside the symbol as soldiers marched across the screen.
The Anti-Defamation League says the Nazi-derived Sonnenrad has a specific association with white supremacy. Neo-Nazi groups also adopted it after World War II. DeSantis’ campaign fired Hochman amid the fallout. A campaign official said only that Hochman was “no longer with the campaign.”
However, Hochman later disputed Axios’ account. In a 2024 essay, he said he did not create the video. He acknowledged reposting it, but said he removed the post and alerted supervisors after learning what the symbol meant.
That dispute now matters because Hochman holds a senior role under Rubio.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott defended him in a statement to the Times. “Nate Hochman is a trusted and key member of the department,” Pigott said, adding that Hochman has worked to advance President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda.
The Times also noted Hochman’s earlier remarks about white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Hochman once offered limited praise for Fuentes’ influence on young men while criticizing his politics. He later said he had made “some really stupid” comments that he did not believe.
Rubio has not announced any personnel change. He also remains one of the Trump administration’s most visible officials and a name in 2028 speculation.
For now, the renewed attention leaves Rubio’s team defending an aide whose past controversies have followed him into the State Department.
