this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
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Also this image is in the header

Am I tweaking?

For those who couldn’t see what I was referring to about the dates: I know this one is a stretch, but alongside the lightning bolts that TPUSA doesn’t use literally anywhere else or have any campaign/slogan relevance, it’s suspect. Definitely minor in comparison but worth noting given the much more blatant surrounding context

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[–] Justice@lemmygrad.ml 37 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I'm a big "no, not all symbolism is a dog whistle..." party pooper type.

That said, in this case I have to lean heavily towards yes that's definitely some Nazi shit.

There's nothing about TPUSA that normally has lightning bolts on it. Maybe if the event was like "TP STRIKES BACK!" It would fit in context.

They just made the image and went "oh yeah. Needs more Nazi." They clearly were not originally part of the design. They clash with everything else. Even the blue part behind Kirk would make more sense to be the outline of a lightning bolt with him in the center. Remove the two bolts on the side in that case. I'm not graphics guy, I don't know shit, but that seems obvious enough if you wanted a more organic incorporation of a lightning bolt. Of course then you can only use one... one S doesn't quite do it.

[–] Rojo27@hexbear.net 15 points 2 months ago

I also noticed that they have him on there with his arm raised. His right arm on the background image so as to not make it super obvious. And yeah, its not quite a Nazi salute, but close enough. And in combination with the lightning bolts its hard to ignore what they're trying to do.

[–] CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m normally pretty skeptical of that shit myself but yeah they literally aren’t using the lightning bolt anywhere else that I see

[–] Justice@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 2 months ago

Yeah. I also just noticed that the portion behind Kirk is a lightning bolt. It's hard to see, but it's there.

So someone already designed that portion in a way that fits the overall graphic. To my eye anyway. Not commenting if it's good or not. And then they or someone else added the bolts on the side. This doesn't change my original assessment. In fact it probably makes it worse for the designer(s). You guys already had the lightning bolt in there if you just think lightning bolts are cool. Why add the two out of place ones? Hmm.

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[–] XxFemboy_Stalin_420_69xX@hexbear.net 29 points 2 months ago (2 children)

am i blind or is there no 88 or hh in the linked image

[–] miz@hexbear.net 20 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

there are two 8s/Hs if you count the repetition of Sep 18th but it's kind of a stretch

[–] CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I agree that part is a stretch but with the lightning bolts and the header it’s just a bit too sus

[–] miz@hexbear.net 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

no doubt that those lightning bolts are sending out a lot of Hitler particles

[–] unmagical@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago (3 children)

There's none. OP alleged in a comment that September 18th being listed twice meant that the "8" and "h" from "18th" could be selectively isolated to portray 88 and hh.

The reality is that they just have 2 different events on that day in a long list of events sorted by upcoming. They have several days with multiple events listed and thus duplicate dates.

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[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 27 points 2 months ago

I am confident that the "8H" thing is just pattern recognition going haywire. Lightning bolts are genuinely sus though.

[–] GrouchyGrouse@hexbear.net 27 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Given that it’s TPUSA they know and it is.

The thing is these are United States Fascists. They have a giant library of fascist imagery tailored to the United States already. It’s all over. The United states aped a lot of Imperial Roman architecture and style for its capital building and aesthetics. The bundle of sticks -the fasces - is all over. Lincoln’s hands rest atop them in the Lincoln Memorial. Cincinnati was named after the Roman legend of Cincinnatus, because George Washington only sought 2 terms and didn’t become a king he was compared to Cincinnatus and was called American Cincinnatus etc etc it’s all over.

The Germans also aped the Romans, because they were aping the Italians who were aping the Romans. Rome Rome Rome the fascists love Roman iconography.

You know what isn’t Roman? The lighting bolt and all that Germanic mumbo jumbo they crapped out. So if an American fascist reaches past their giant library of American shit that is fascist and stretches for some MEIN FUHRER I CAN VALK shit you know it’s a dog whistle. You know they are doing their nazi larp dance for their little Nazi audience.

[–] EllenKelly@hexbear.net 13 points 2 months ago

I think someone using a fasces probably also knows where they come from, their modern history, and tend what they represent

[–] ClimateStalin@hexbear.net 21 points 2 months ago (2 children)

That’s 100% a dog whistle

[–] SacredExcrement@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

It's wayyy too forced as well

[–] CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago

The header image I put in the body of the post is insane to see. The lightning bolts plus him saluting in the background

[–] PorkrollPosadist@hexbear.net 20 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The graphic design is too bad for it not to be. They forced it in there.

[–] ClassIsOver@hexbear.net 19 points 2 months ago

I'm a graphic designer, and it's highly unlikely that they could find a decent designer who was willing to work with them for the same reasons that Hollywood and comedians tend to lean left: it takes empathy to understand your audience well enough to cater to them at a level that they engage with. It's the same reason that the right has one joke. Their form of humor only extends as far as saying something inflammatory and then asking incredulously "What, are you offended by that?", and that deliberately circumvent the need for empathy. Design works the same way. You need to understand not only how people think, but why people think that way in order to make something that appeals to them.

Organizations are using the best they can get, and it's slim pickings. They often try to make up for it by using AI-generated images, which is why AI is the official art style of fascism.

[–] CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

It’s literally so ass. They were like “oh whoops can’t forget to put these in!”

[–] adultswim_antifa@hexbear.net 19 points 2 months ago

I do not think "18th" is a dog whistle. The guy said a lot of shit that was more obvious than this, and I highly doubt Charlie Kirk had anything to do with any of these designs other than possibly deciding whether he thinks looks cool or not.

[–] redchert@lemmygrad.ml 19 points 2 months ago

Neo-Nazis use ⚡⚡ in their handle as a dogwhistle. So you get someone like Lena1488 ⚡⚡ tweeting about the white replacement.

[–] axont@hexbear.net 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Wait you had to buy tickets to see this fascist goofus? I already hated how people were calling him an activist but now I hate it even more. Completely normal grassroots activist campaign about promoting ideals like free speech by selling merch and tickets. This guy was a fucking clown. I don't mean like he was a bozo, he was, but I mean he was an actual clown whose job was making a buffoon of himself for money in a travelling circus.

Activism brought to you by MasterCard.

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[–] tactical_trans_karen@hexbear.net 15 points 2 months ago
[–] miz@hexbear.net 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

this makes me extremely uncomfortable. when are we gonna see them start using stylized American flag skulls

[–] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago (4 children)
[–] ClimateStalin@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago

Yeah I’ve seen this sticker on the back of Child Crusher 9000s for years

[–] SickSemper@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I saw one of those the other day, but half American flag and half Mexican flag

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[–] ClassIsOver@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

Maybe someone has already designed one that can be co-opted and stripped of its original meaning because of the general vibe it has

[–] TrashGoblin@hexbear.net 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] GIRobot@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago

GI Robot fears that his work is not nearly complete. GI Robot would like to express a desire to resume his work as soon as possible.

[–] casskaydee@hexbear.net 11 points 2 months ago (6 children)

I feel really dumb but I only see the lightning bolts. Where is the 88 and HH?

[–] Rom@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

Yeah I'm not seeing it either. The lightning bolts are definitely hitler-detector but the 88/HH are a stretch, I don't think fash are capable of that level of subtlety

[–] unmagical@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

There's none. OP alleged in a comment that September 18th being listed twice meant that the "8" and "h" from "18th" could be selectively isolated to portray 88 and hh.

The reality is that they just have 2 different events on that day in a long list of events sorted by upcoming. They have several days with multiple events listed and thus duplicate dates.

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[–] segfault11@hexbear.net 11 points 2 months ago

SNOOP DOGG CRIT...

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yep. I saw them at the event where he got popped too and immediately went "holy shit"

[–] FnordPrefect@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

It's Nazi as all hell, but (especially with hindsight being 20/20) I do appreciate the hubristic invocation of Zeus that it brings

[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

Lighting bolts, maybe? But 18th? Yeah definitely tweaking. Let's not try to lose our collective minds over this Kirk nonsense

[–] nothx@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

yikes

But not surprising…

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)
[–] CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

don’t forget the 88 and HH

Like I know it’s by design that it has plausible deniability and that this is a stretch, but that kinda is the purpose of dog whistles so I felt the need to also mention those.

The lightning bolts are obviously the main focus though

[–] XxFemboy_Stalin_420_69xX@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago (2 children)

bruh what. the date is not a dog whistle, that's such a reach lmao

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[–] Abracadaniel@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

you are perhaps a lil too hyped up. that's kinda silly.

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[–] space_comrade@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago

Idk I think this is reaching for it a bit. I think it's just shitty design or they just reused the same graphic as they'll use in IRL posters where it's pretty normal to have information repeat.

[–] NewAcctWhoDis@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago

This is a massive stretch

[–] unmagical@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

1000007926

They have 2 events on the 18th so they have 2 entries.

They have 2 events on 22nd, 24th, 30th, and October 27th, so they have 2 entries for each.

That's not an 88 or an HH or even just repeating the date--it's two different things on the same day on the same campus on a date that happens to have an 8 in it followed by the standard English ordinal abbreviation.


The ⚡⚡ be way more sus though.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I too have raised the lightning bolt design being sus nazi shit in the past.

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