itsnate TikTok Joke: What Was It and What Is The Military's Response?

TikTok is a short video sharing app that encourages people to live out their dreams of being whomever they wish to be. However, some users take that to a new level. The internet gives people a sense of anonymity since they feel people can’t reach them physically. TikTok is abuzz with the news of a joke made by user ‘itsnate’ that has ruffled quite a lot of feathers. Let’s dive in to learn what this was all about.

Who is itsnate on TikTok?

itsnate is the username for a US Army Officer by the name of Nathan Freihofer. Nathan is a Second Lieutenant in the US Army, which makes him quite low down in the chain since Second Lieutenants typically have less than two years on the force. itsnate had almost 3 million followers on his account. The young officer frequently appeared in his TikTok videos training in his fatigues.

What was the controversial TikTok about?

Nathan Freihofer created a video on TikTok where he made a joke referencing Jewish people and the holocaust. This may be in line with the new wave of holocaust TikToks that have been appearing on the app recently.

In the video, Nathan appears to be standing in front of his mirror in regular clothes and making a joke. In the joke, Nathan says that a “Jewish person’s favorite Pokémon character is Ash”. This is in terrible taste to the fact that millions of Jewish people were killed in concentration camps through various methods of torture. Nathan ends the video by saying “If you get offended, get the f*ck out because it’s a joke”.

Can Army officers make TikToks?

Yes, they can. In fact, the army encourages its officers to make their presence felt on social media platforms in order to spread the word of their service. However, they are always advised to be very careful about what they post. Jokes like these are definitely not tolerated and go against everything that the military stands for.

What is the military’s response?

Different branches of the military are looking into the video that was posted by Nathan Freihofer on his TikTok account ‘itsnate’. Since the incident, the entire account has been taken down. You can no longer search for the account on TikTok. However, there is no clarity as to whether TikTok did that or Nathan himself did it.

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An investigation has been initiated into this matter and the Soldier has been suspended of any and all leadership authorities effective immediately, pending the results of the investigation.

— 3rd Infantry Division (@3rd_Infantry) August 31, 2020

In a statement on Twitter, the 3rd Infantry Division has stated that they are looking into the matter and currently Nathan has been suspended of all leadership authorities immediately. People are naturally outraged when such videos make rounds on social media apps. The holocaust was probably the darkest time in human history and millions of families still feel the loss from that period.

Bust his ass to private and restrict him to quarters for not less than 90 days with no social media access. Make him fulfill his contract.

— Mark Chubb ???? (@chubbm) August 31, 2020