<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=36750692&amp;cv=3.6.0&amp;cj=1"> 'Don't let history repeat itself': German native warns Americans how Trump's TikTok ban reversal echoes 'a certain painter from 1933' – We Got This Covered
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Your details are incorrect, or aren't in our system yet. Please try again, or sign up if you're new here.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Create a GAMURS
By g up, you agree to our and of Service.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose a name
Choose a unique name using 3-30 alphanumeric characters.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Choose your preferences
Choose how we communicate with you, opt out at anytime.
Something went wrong. Try again, or if the problem persists.
Check your email
An confirmation link was sent to your email. Don't forget to check your spam!
Enter the email address you used when you ed and we'll send you instructions to reset your .
If you used Apple or Google to create your , this process will create a for your existing .
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and of Service apply.
Reset instructions sent. If you have an with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or if the problem persists.
Images via @mrstrafalgarlaw/TikTok

‘Don’t let history repeat itself’: German native warns Americans how Trump’s TikTok ban reversal echoes ‘a certain painter from 1933’

"It's all just a little bit of history repeating."

The U.S. is officially on the path to an uncertain future, and we just handed the wheel over to a belligerent toddler, so things are looking especially grim.

Recommended Videos

With the ascension of Donald Trump to the White House, America enters dangerous waters. It only took a single day for the new U.S. president to pardon thousands of Jan. 6 rioters, withdraw from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord, and declare a national emergency on the southern boarder, and he has plans to lean much harder into his promised plans for the country in the future.

It’s those plans Americans truly fear, as we watch TikToker’s astute warning is serving as a reality check for those unconcerned with the president’s broad threats toward our democracy.

German @mrstrafalgarlaw made her way to TikTok in the days before Trump’s inauguration to deliver a daunting message. Leaning on harsh lessons taught by history, the content creator outlined how vital the TikTok ban — and Trump’s subsequent saving of the app — may be, in the eyes of history, and begged American s to pay attention. She specifically pointed to Trump’s promises regarding TikTok, and — after reminding people that “it was Trump that started all of this” — warned people to be wary if Trump swept in to save the app.

Which is exactly what happened. After g a 2020 executive order to kill TikTok, Trump reversed on his former stance in 2025 and stepped in, just a few days after the ban went down, to provide an extension for the app. He was thanked by TikTok itself when American s returned, and he’s now happily taking full credit for saving our beloved TikTok.

All of which @mrstrafalgarlaw breezily predicted in her mid-January video, when she warned that “this is exactly what a certain painter from 1933 did back then to get the sympathy of the masses.” Leaning on her reference to Adolf Hiter, the TikToker implored Americans not to “let history repeat itself,” beseeched the nation to avoid sympathizing with Trump, and warned of shifts she predicts will come to the app in coming months.

“This app will be run over by Republican propaganda,” she advised viewers. “Fascist propaganda.” Noting that 1933 ’s version of the TikTok ban related to burning books, the TikToker observed that it all revolves around removing access to “information that is not serving their worldview.”

The original TikTok was that of the people around him — increasingly smacks of fascism, and it’s terrifying to acknowledge how many elements of history are starting to repeat themselves.

If we see a sudden surge in right-wing content on TikTok, that should absolutely spark concern. It’s up to us, the American people, to stop our nation from taking the wrong route through history, and it just might start here — with a social media app, a government ban, and an aspiring dictator.


We Got This Covered is ed by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about our Policy
Author
Image of Nahila Bonfiglio
Nahila Bonfiglio
Nahila carefully obsesses over all things geekdom and gaming, bringing her embarrassingly expansive expertise to the team at We Got This Covered. She is a Staff Writer and occasional Editor with a focus on comics, video games, and most importantly 'Lord of the Rings,' putting her Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin to good use. Her work has been featured alongside the greats at NPR, the Daily Dot, and Nautilus Magazine.