Samoa’s prime minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt has issued an apology after a clip from 2007 surfaced showing him performing a Nazi salute and chanting “Heil Hitler” at a family gathering.
In the seven‑second recording, Schmidt, then deputy speaker of parliament, led approximately a dozen people in the gesture while shouting a slogan. The footage, filmed at a private family reunion, was never released to the public.
Schmidt called the “words and gesture inappropriate and capable of causing offence” and said it was “not intended for the public”. He reaffirmed that he rejects Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism.
The video was first reported by the Samoa Observer on Sunday. It was noted that Schmidt had served as master of ceremonies at the gathering.
Schmidt, who has Samoan and German heritage, took office as Samoa’s eighth prime minister in September 2025. He has publicly supported Israel, wearing a Jewish prayer shawl at his swearing‑in and stating that “Samoa stands with the land of God”.
The incident has sparked debate on social media and a call for clearer guidelines on political leaders’ conduct.
