Overview

• Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt hired Nate Hochman as a policy adviser in February despite his July 2023 firing from Ron DeSantis’s campaign over neo-Nazi imagery.
• Hochman previously produced videos at the Marco Rubio-linked think tank America2100 that targeted Haitian migrants and promoted conspiracy theories about LGBTQ people.
• Extremism expert Heidi Beirich warns the move demonstrates there are no barriers preventing far-right activists from securing Republican Party careers.
• Schmitt himself echoed the 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory in a 2022 Glenn Beck interview, underscoring ideological alignment with his new aide.
• Hochman’s appointment follows similar GOP hires of extremist-linked figures such as Darren Beattie, reflecting a broader pattern of far-right operatives in party roles.