On August 4, 2019, after at least 31 people were killed in mass shootings in the US over the weekend, Trump ordered all flags to be flown at half-mast through August 8, 2019. Former Assistant Director for Counter Intelligence, FBI, Frank Figgliuzi explained on MSNBC that the fact that the US flags would be raised at on 8/8 is disturbing.

88 is a coded message “Heil Hitler” recognized by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

Figgliuzi expressed concern about Trump’s choice of speechwriters and failure to screen public statements for possible manipulations.

However, Trump has a long history of using these coded messages in his speeches. Below are some examples.

WHY SECRET CODE?

Until recently, the neo-Nazis had to hide their views not just due to the global outrage at the atrocities of the fascist and Nazi regimes such as Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Arrow Cross in Hungary but also because in many countries such insignia and symbolism are illegal. To identify each other and communicate, neo-Nazis and white supremacists have developed a secret coded language, using numbers, words, and gestures to identify each other. The majority of the population worldwide is not familiar with this language and does not recognize signals and signs hidden in social media posts, speeches and official statements of the Trump administration. These signals are called “dog-whistles.”

SOME EXAMPLES

88: ‘H’ is the eighth letter of the English alphabet. 88 reads ‘HH’, an abbreviation for ‘Heil Hitler.’” The Anti Defamation League calls 88 “one of the most common white supremacist symbols, [that] is used throughout the entire white supremacist movement, not just neo-Nazis.”