Hitler scene explained as Department of Education deletes Trump post
The U.S. Department of Education has deleted a social media video that appeared to compare President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler after users flagged the clip’s use of a scene from the 2017 film Darkest Hour.
The post, which was shared on the department’s official account before being removed, used a popular TikTok audio format and featured a clip of Winston Churchill delivering a line that referred to Hitler, followed immediately by a montage of images and footage of Trump.
A Department of Education spokesperson told Newsweek that the post was uploaded by a staffer who did not understand the context of the clip, and has since been removed from all platforms.
What Did The Video Show?
The clip shared on X opened with a scene from Darkest Hour, a film depicting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. In the scene, Churchill said: “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth.”
After the line, the video cut abruptly to a montage of Trump images and footage alongside the caption: “No one does it like us” and a tiger emoji, following a format that has become popular on TikTok.
However, people quickly pointed out that within the context of the film, Churchill’s “tiger” remark refers to Hitler and Nazi Germany, creating an apparent comparison between Trump and the Nazi dictator.
Users on X quickly added context. “This clip is from the film Darkest Hour, and the ‘tiger’ in this clip refers to Adolf Hitler,” X’s community note under the post said.
Screenshots of the post have circulated widely since it was deleted, drawing scrutiny from social media users and political commentators.
Department of Education Responds
An Education Department spokesperson said the video was removed after officials became aware of the context behind the clip.
“The video, based on a trending sound on TikTok, was created and posted by an ED staffer who did not understand the context of the video. The Department has removed it from all social media platforms,” the spokesperson told Newsweek.
The department did not identify the staff member involved or indicate how long the post had been live before it was removed.
The incident highlights the risks government agencies face as they increasingly adopt social media trends, memes and viral formats.
The Trump administration has sought to use more informal online content to reach younger audiences, but it has not always landed well with the public.
Earlier this week the White House saw backlash after sharing a “Magic Deportation Bus” image styled after the children’s educational series The Magic School Bus while promoting Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.
Update 08/27/26 09:00 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from the Department of Education.
