Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hired Nate Hochman, a former speechwriter for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to a senior position within the State Department. Hochman, who was dismissed from DeSantis' presidential campaign in 2023, now serves as deputy director of the agency’s policy planning office and chief speech writer for Rubio.
The appointment comes despite a controversy in 2023 when Hochman reshared a video that included a symbol identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a neo-Nazi and white supremacist emblem. The video featured a meme-like figure being cheered by headlines about DeSantis' policies, concluding with the Florida state seal morphing into a Sonnenrad, or black sun.
At the time of the incident, Hochman stated he had been unaware of the symbol's meaning and deleted the post after learning of its association. He also reportedly alerted his superiors. Despite this, the controversy led to his dismissal from the DeSantis campaign. A later report suggested individuals within the campaign had created the video and planted it in a fan account, with Hochman bearing the public blame.
Hochman also participated in an online conversation with white nationalist influencer Nick Fuentes, where he made comments such as, "You've gotten a lot of kids based, and we respect that for sure." He later explained that he was attempting to draw Fuentes out and had said "stupid things" that signaled agreement but did not reflect his actual beliefs.
Prior to his role with the State Department, Hochman worked for the conservative group America 2100 and as a policy advisor for Senator Eric Schmitt. He previously held positions as a fellow for the Claremont Institute and as a writer for National Review.
A spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, defended Hochman's hiring, telling The New York Times that "Nate Hochman is a trusted and key member of the department who has worked tirelessly to advance the president's foreign policy agenda."