Samoa's PM Issues Apology for Past Nazi Salute in Video
WHO:
ABC News - Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, serving as deputy speaker of Parliament in 2007
WHAT:
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa stated, “Whatever the context or intention at that gathering twenty years ago, I recognise that those words and gesture were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt and I apologise for using them.”
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa banned the Samoa Observer from all government press conferences last year for what he called “unfair” reporting.
ABC News - Laaulialemalietoa Schmidt apologized for a 2007 video showing him saying “Heil Hitler” and making a Nazi gesture.
CNN - The video features Laaulialemalietoa leading a group in the Nazi salute and saying “Raise your right hand, Heil Hitler” during a family reunion.
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa stated that his words were “not intended for the public” and recognized the inappropriateness of his actions.
WHERE:
CNN - Samoa is a tiny nation of about 221,000 people in the South Pacific, near Fiji.
CNN - The video was recorded during a private family gathering in Savai’i, the largest island in Samoa.
WHEN:
ABC News - The video was recorded in 2007.
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa became Prime Minister of Samoa last year.
WHY:
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa now considers “this matter addressed.”
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa acknowledged that his words and gestures were “capable of causing offence and hurt” and apologized for using them.
HOW:
CNN - Laaulialemalietoa expressed that his behavior in the video does not reflect his personal beliefs or the beliefs of the government or people of Samoa. He stated, “I reject Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism.”
(UPDATED October 5, 2026 11:00 UTC)
Laaulialemalietoa has publicly apologized for inappropriate words and gestures made at a gathering twenty years ago, acknowledging their potential to cause offense and hurt. Last year, he banned the Samoa Observer from all government press conferences, citing what he described as "unfair" reporting. Now, Laaulialemalietoa believes that "this matter addressed," as Samoa continues to navigate its media landscape in the South Pacific.
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(UPDATED October 5, 2026 07:27 UTC)
Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt has publicly apologized for a 2007 video in which he is seen leading a group in a Nazi salute and saying “Heil Hitler” during a family reunion in Savai’i. In his statement, Schmidt acknowledged that his words and gestures were inappropriate and capable of causing offense, clarifying that they were “not intended for the public.” He emphasized that this behavior does not reflect his personal beliefs or those of the Samoan government, firmly rejecting Nazism, antisemitism, racism, and all forms of political extremism.