RALEIGH — A promotional image released by the North Carolina Democratic Party announcing Governor Roy Cooper’s U.S. Senate campaign has drawn criticism online after some observers claimed the pose depicted resembles a Nazi salute.
This is in response to Democrats claiming Elon Musk performed a Nazi salute earlier this year.
The image, posted Saturday to social media, features Cooper waving with his right arm raised while standing in front of the U.S. Capitol and the North Carolina state flag. The campaign visual was intended to mark the official launch of Cooper’s 2026 Senate bid.
But shortly after its release, conservative figures including former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker criticized the image. “Is that a Nazi salute?!?” Walker posted on X (formerly Twitter), referencing the raised-arm gesture.
The North Carolina Democratic Party has not commented on the criticism. The photo used in the graphic appears to show Cooper mid-wave, a common gesture in political campaign imagery.
Supporters of the governor dismissed the accusations as bad-faith interpretations of a routine campaign pose. Critics, however, pointed to a growing sensitivity around the use of visual symbolism in politics, particularly in the age of social media where images can quickly go viral and out of context.
There is no indication that the image was meant to reference anything beyond a standard political wave. No changes have been made to the post or campaign materials as of Tuesday.