Army investigating officer who made Holocaust joke in viral video

The Army says it is investigating an officer who reportedly made a joke about Jews being killed in the Holocaust in a video posted to TikTok. 

The video was shared on Twitter showing a user with the account “_itsnate” making an anti-Semitic joke and adding that “if you get offended, get the f— out because it’s a joke.” The soldier was identified by Task and Purpose and Stars and Stripes as 2nd Lt. Nathan Freihofer.

Freihofer reportedly had nearly 3 million followers on TikTok. 

A spokesperson for TikTok confirmed the video was removed on Monday for violating the platform’s policies against hate speech. Freihofer’s account also appears to no longer be active, but the TikTok spokesperson said the platform only removed the video. 

The XVIII Airborne Corps tweeted Monday that it is investigating reports about a soldier’s “vile” remarks, and said the remarks in the video are “completely inconsistent with our values.”

We are investigating reports of a Soldier assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps allegedly making vile remarks on a social media video. The statement made in the video is completely inconsistent with our values. We will review all facts and take appropriate action.

— XVIII Airborne Corps (@18airbornecorps) August 31, 2020

Maj. Gen. Tony Aguto, the commander of Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division, also called the remarks “vile” and said the soldier has been suspended of any and all leadership authorities pending the result of the investigation. 

Aguto tweeted that the statements in the video are “not indicative of the values we live by, and there is no place for racism or bigotry in our Army or our country.” 

The official Twitter account for the Auschwitz Memorial called out Freihofer for his post, and linked to a page with information about the Holocaust. 

“He wrote: ‘For legal reasons this is a joke’ What about moral reasons & respect? Would he look into the eyes of Survivors liberated by @USArmy and tell them this?” the memorial tweeted.

He wrote: ‘For legal reasons this is a joke’

What about moral reasons & respect?
Would he look into the eyes of Survivors liberated by @USArmy and tell them this?

Nathan, if you see this, take this lesson to learn why you hurt real people & their memory: https://t.co/IGcvJQET2H https://t.co/VPsM2FoOxs pic.twitter.com/bR6qz9BvIR

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) August 31, 2020