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Taylor Says Swastika Flag in Office Was Part of Coordinated ‘Ruse’ as Capitol Police Probe Continues

Other Republican aides dispute his account, saying similar flags were clearly visible before being discarded.

Overview

  • An image from an Oct. 14 virtual meeting showed an altered U.S. flag forming a swastika behind staffer Angelo Elia in Rep. Dave Taylor’s Cannon office, first reported by Politico after a screenshot surfaced online.
  • Taylor condemned the display, said his office’s internal review found no staff knowingly posted it, and asserted that multiple GOP offices were targeted with look‑alike flags he described as initially indistinguishable.
  • U.S. Capitol Police are investigating, and Taylor says his office is cooperating with the Committee on House Administration; no public findings or disciplinary actions have been announced.
  • Several Republican staffers told The Hill and Politico they received comparable flags, said the symbol was obvious to the naked eye, and threw them away, contradicting claims of an optical illusion.
  • The episode unfolds as separate Politico reporting on racist and antisemitic Young Republicans chats heightens scrutiny of extremist imagery and rhetoric linked to some party circles.