Kamala Harris Campaign: Debunking the Nazi Slogan Controversy

Recent social media posts have incorrectly claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris has adopted the Nazi phrase “Strength Through Joy” as her campaign slogan. This assertion is false.

The misinformation spread on platforms like X and Facebook, where users have suggested that Harris’s slogan has Nazi origins. One post stated, “Kamala’s ‘Strength Through Joy’ messaging derives from the Nazis. Imagine that.” Another post included claims from a Wikipedia page attributing the slogan to the Nazis as a means of promoting their ideology.

A VERIFY reader, Melissa, reached out to verify these claims after encountering an Instagram post urging users to Google Harris’s supposed slogan. She asked if “Strength Through Joy” was indeed part of Harris’s campaign messaging.

To clarify, “Strength Through Joy” is not the official slogan of Harris or her campaign. While she has referenced the concept of “joy” in her messaging, this phrase has never been used by her campaign.

A thorough investigation into the campaign’s official website, social media channels, and public statements revealed no evidence of Harris invoking “Strength Through Joy.” None of the claims made on social media included video footage of her using the phrase, nor were there credible news sources linking it to her campaign.

Currently, the Harris campaign does not appear to have an officially recognized slogan. Her website features the phrase “Let’s Win This,” and she has frequently used slogans like “We’re not going back” and “When we fight, we win.” Attempts to contact the Harris campaign for clarification did not receive a response by press time.

Historically, “Strength Through Joy” refers to a Nazi-era program that aimed to control German society and improve the perceived quality of life for “Aryan” workers to garner support for the regime, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The program was established following the Nazis’ ascent to power in 1933.