Trump shared an article with a pink triangle symbol: Why critics are alarmed

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, President Donald Trump shared an article with a promo image depicting a symbol previously used by Nazis to identify gay men during the Holocaust.

The opinion article published in The Washington Times titled, “Army recruitment ads look quite different under Trump,” shows an illustrated television as the leading image. In the middle of the TV is an upside-down pink triangle crossed out by a red “no” symbol.

The pink triangle was used as a badge to identify gay men in concentration camps, and many received especially harsh treatment before they died, historians and LGBTQ+ activist groups say. But in the decades since World War II, the pink triangle has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of activism and pride.

When reached for comment about Trump’s sharing of the article, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, “No president has been a greater friend to the Jewish community and Israel than President Trump.”

But LGBTQ+ Jewish non-profit organization Keshet told USA TODAY it was “horrified” to learn about Trump’s post. Here’s what to know about the symbol’s history.

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What is the history and meaning of the pink triangle?

According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Germany had a thriving LGBTQ+ community at the turn of the 20th century. But bias, especially against gay men, rose as the Nazis worked towards an “Aryan” race.

From 1933 to 1945, approximately 100,000 queer men were arrested and upwards of 15,000 were sentenced to concentration camps, marked by pink triangles, according to San Francisco’s Pink Triangle Memorial website.

The pink triangle indicated to others in the camp that the men wearing them were “bottom tier,” according to NCLR, which reported that an estimated 60% of them were killed.

In the second half of the century, the symbol was reclaimed as a pride symbol by LGBTQ+ groups. Notably, a right-side-up pink triangle was used for ACT UP’s “Silence=Death” campaign for AIDS awareness and action. NCLR points out pink triangles are depicted on flags and signs at LGBTQ+ gatherings worldwide.

“The triangle – now right side up – serves as a reminder that we cannot allow history to repeat itself,” a June 2024 post from NCLR reads. “We must never forget what the symbolism and history that the pink triangle represents and recommit to a future dedicated to liberation for all.”

Pink triangle was featured on Washington Times opinion piece shared by Trump

The upside-down pink triangle was featured in a Washington Times opinion article by Jeremy Hunt, chairman of advocacy group Veterans on Duty, arguing that the military had made a positive shift in moving away from LGBTQ+ pride ads for recruitment.

Trump shared the opinion piece in a post on Truth Social without adding any comment.

“Such actions are frighteningly reminiscent for both LGBTQ+ people and Jews of our long histories of persecution, which have included tactics we’re seeing today, such as scapegoating, book bans, destruction of information access, and control/confiscation of identity documents like passports,” said Keshet President and CEO Idit Klein in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.

In response to questions about whether Trump knew about the history of the image or endorsed the article, White House spokesperson Rogers pointed to Trump’s actions on behalf of the Jewish community in his first month in office.

“President Trump signed an Executive Order to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses, cut funding for colleges that allow violence against Jewish students, fulfilled his promise to deport pro-Hamas immigrants, returned American and Israeli hostages taken by terrorists to their families, and successfully negotiated a cease fire in Gaza,” she said in an emailed statement.

Trump has ordered federal agencies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and mentions of gender and the transgender community have been pulled from federal government websites.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acted on Trump’s directives, posting a note that read “DoD ≠ DEI…no exceptions, name-changes, or delays. Those who do not comply will no longer work here.”

The Washington Times did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

Klein said the majority of Americans support LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination policies.

“We hope that this majority will speak out to protest these attacks and demand that all people be treated with dignity.”

Cotributing: Lauren Villagran, Jessica Guynn

Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump shares article with pink triangle image: Why critics are alarmed