One Nation drops Victorian election candidate Franco Guardiani over a post calling Hitler the 'GOAT'
One Nation Victoria dropped Preston candidate Franco Guardiani after his reply on X calling Adolf Hitler the GOAT circulated. Leader Warren Pickering said the party was appalled; Guardiani confirmed the posts, called it a fair call and cited free speech.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
On November 10, 2026, One Nation Victoria disendorsed Franco Guardiani, its candidate for the Melbourne district of Preston at the Victorian state election, after a reply he posted on X calling Adolf Hitler the GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time, circulated online. The party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, said the party was appalled by the comments, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, who holds Preston, had called for the move. Guardiani confirmed the posts were his, called the decision a fair call and said he believes in free speech.
Read the full background
Franco Guardiani was One Nation's candidate for Preston, a district in Melbourne's north that Labor has held since it was first contested in 1945, at the Victorian state election on November 28, 2026. He previously stood in the overlapping federal seat of Batman for the Palmer United Party in 2013 and as an independent in 2016.
The Guardian reported that in a now-deleted reply on X, Guardiani answered GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time, to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. The reply has been removed, and we could not locate an archived copy or a published screenshot of it, so this case describes it as the Guardian and the ABC reported it. The ABC reported that Guardiani had also twice reposted posts praising Hitler and that in December 2025 he told the Campaign Against Antisemitism, in a reply to one of its posts, that he was "just asking" whether there was evidence that 6 million Jews were killed by Germany during the Holocaust. The Guardian reported that his X account also contained Islamophobic comments.
On the morning of November 10, Labor MP Nathan Lambert, who holds Preston, called on One Nation to disendorse Guardiani. The Guardian reported that the party learned of the posts that morning and disendorsed him a short time later, after a party official discussed them with Guardiani and confirmed they were real. In a statement, Victorian leader Warren Pickering said the party was appalled and that anyone holding such views has no place in One Nation. The ABC reported that the party has conceded its candidate vetting needs improvement; the Guardian reported that One Nation's Victorian candidates must hand over their personal social media accounts for vetting and are interviewed by a three-person panel that includes Pickering.
Guardiani confirmed to the Guardian and the ABC that the posts were his. He told the Guardian he still stands by One Nation and called the decision a fair call, and he said he believes in free speech. Because nominations closed on November 9, his name stays on the Preston ballot alongside the One Nation party name. Earlier in November, One Nation's Melbourne candidate, Matthew Collins, left the race over past social media comments.
People in this case
Warren PickeringDirectly involved
Timeline
5 timeline entries on this page. Dates: November 10, 2026
November 2026
Guardiani's reply calling Hitler the GOAT circulates
Incident
Posts by One Nation's Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, circulate, including a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time, to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. The ABC reports that he had also twice reposted posts praising Hitler. The date of the reply was not reported.
[01]The Guardian
Guardian Australia report on One Nation Victoria disendorsing its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, after a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. It quotes the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, Guardiani's own response after he confirmed the posts were his, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, and describes the party's candidate vetting process.
The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull article[02]ABC News (Australia)
ABC News report, by its state political reporter and ABC NEWS Verify, on One Nation dropping Franco Guardiani as its Preston candidate. It describes his post calling Hitler the GOAT, reposts praising Hitler and earlier posts about the Holocaust, quotes Warren Pickering's statement and Guardiani's response after he confirmed the account was his, and notes his earlier candidacies in the federal seat of Batman.
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full articleNathan Lambert calls on One Nation to disendorse Guardiani
Reaction
On Tuesday morning, Labor MP Nathan Lambert, who holds Preston, calls on One Nation to disendorse Guardiani, saying there is no place for the horrific ideology of the Nazi Party.
[01]The Guardian
Guardian Australia report on One Nation Victoria disendorsing its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, after a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. It quotes the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, Guardiani's own response after he confirmed the posts were his, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, and describes the party's candidate vetting process.
The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull articleOne Nation drops Guardiani as its Preston candidate
Reaction
One Nation says it learned of the posts on Tuesday morning and disendorsed Guardiani a short time later, after a party official discussed them with him and confirmed they were real. Victorian leader Warren Pickering says the party is appalled and that Guardiani is no longer part of the party.
[01]The Guardian
Guardian Australia report on One Nation Victoria disendorsing its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, after a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. It quotes the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, Guardiani's own response after he confirmed the posts were his, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, and describes the party's candidate vetting process.
The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull article[02]ABC News (Australia)
ABC News report, by its state political reporter and ABC NEWS Verify, on One Nation dropping Franco Guardiani as its Preston candidate. It describes his post calling Hitler the GOAT, reposts praising Hitler and earlier posts about the Holocaust, quotes Warren Pickering's statement and Guardiani's response after he confirmed the account was his, and notes his earlier candidacies in the federal seat of Batman.
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full articleGuardiani confirms the posts were his and responds
Reaction
Guardiani confirms to the Guardian and the ABC that the posts were his. He tells the Guardian he still stands by One Nation and is a bit disappointed but that the decision is a fair call by the party, and he says he believes in free speech and that people should always be able to express their views. He tells the ABC the party does what it sees fit.
[01]The Guardian
Guardian Australia report on One Nation Victoria disendorsing its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, after a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. It quotes the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, Guardiani's own response after he confirmed the posts were his, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, and describes the party's candidate vetting process.
The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull article[02]ABC News (Australia)
ABC News report, by its state political reporter and ABC NEWS Verify, on One Nation dropping Franco Guardiani as its Preston candidate. It describes his post calling Hitler the GOAT, reposts praising Hitler and earlier posts about the Holocaust, quotes Warren Pickering's statement and Guardiani's response after he confirmed the account was his, and notes his earlier candidacies in the federal seat of Batman.
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full articleGuardiani stays on the Preston ballot under the One Nation name
Candidate nominations closed on November 9, so the disendorsement comes too late for One Nation to replace Guardiani on the ballot. The ABC reports that he will appear alongside the One Nation party name.
[03]ABC News (Australia)
ABC News live coverage of the Victorian election campaign on November 10, 2026. A post by the ABC's chief elections analyst says the disendorsement came after nominations closed, so Guardiani will appear on the Preston ballot alongside the One Nation party name.
ABC News live blog: One Nation Victorian election candidate dumped over Hitler comments, as it happened · ABC News (Australia)Post by Casey Briggs, Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 3:27pm AEDT: Guardiani's disendorsement comes too late for One Nation to pick a new candidate[02]ABC News (Australia)
ABC News report, by its state political reporter and ABC NEWS Verify, on One Nation dropping Franco Guardiani as its Preston candidate. It describes his post calling Hitler the GOAT, reposts praising Hitler and earlier posts about the Holocaust, quotes Warren Pickering's statement and Guardiani's response after he confirmed the account was his, and notes his earlier candidacies in the federal seat of Batman.
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full article
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Adolf Hitler can be described in one word as the "GOAT", an acronym for greatest of all time.
What is disputed
Guardiani gave the answer in a reply to an X post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. The reply has been deleted and its date was not reported; it circulated on November 10, 2026, and Guardiani confirmed the posts were his. One Nation's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, said the party was appalled by the comments and dropped Guardiani as a candidate. Labor MP Nathan Lambert said there was no place for the ideology of the Nazi Party. Guardiani said he believes in free speech.
Sources (2)
- The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull article
- ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full article
Response record
Responses
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1 matching response. Newest first.
Warren PickeringLeader of One Nation Victoria and the party's candidate for Pakenham, in a party statementDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The ABC reported that Pickering's statement addressed Guardiani's comments related to the Holocaust, after a post circulated showing Guardiani calling Hitler the GOAT. The Guardian reported that the party learned of the posts on Tuesday morning and disendorsed Guardiani a short time later.
"At a time when Jewish Australians are experiencing unprecedented persecution, we are appalled that these comments have been made"
CondemnedResponding to: Adolf Hitler can be described in one word as the "GOAT", an acronym for greatest of all time.
Full statement and sources
In a statement, One Nation's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, says the party is appalled that Guardiani's comments were made at a time when Jewish Australians face unprecedented persecution. He says the party acted as soon as it became aware of them, that Guardiani is no longer part of the party and that anyone who holds such views does not have a place in One Nation.
After the statement
Pickering said the party acted as soon as it became aware of the comments, that Guardiani is no longer part of the party, and that anyone who holds such views is on notice that they do not have a place in One Nation.
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments · ABC News (Australia)Full articleThe Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT' · The GuardianFull articleWhy this label?
The reference point is Franco Guardiani's reply on X calling Adolf Hitler the GOAT and his related posts about Hitler and the Holocaust, with One Nation's decision to drop him as the response. Pickering says the party is appalled by the comments and announces that Guardiani is no longer part of the party, which condemns the posts. He does not dispute what the posts said or downplay them.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(3)
Reporting
The Guardian: One Nation dumps Victorian election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler as 'GOAT'
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Guardian Australia report on One Nation Victoria disendorsing its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani, after a now-deleted reply on X in which he answered GOAT to a post asking people to describe Hitler in one word. It quotes the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, Guardiani's own response after he confirmed the posts were his, and Labor MP Nathan Lambert, and describes the party's candidate vetting process.
- Author
- Henry Belot
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
ABC News live blog: One Nation Victorian election candidate dumped over Hitler comments, as it happened
Relevant passage: Post by Casey Briggs, Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 3:27pm AEDT: Guardiani's disendorsement comes too late for One Nation to pick a new candidate
About this source
ABC News live coverage of the Victorian election campaign on November 10, 2026. A post by the ABC's chief elections analyst says the disendorsement came after nominations closed, so Guardiani will appear on the Preston ballot alongside the One Nation party name.
- Author
- Judd Boaz and Tim Callanan
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
ABC News: One Nation Victoria dumps Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over Hitler comments
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
ABC News report, by its state political reporter and ABC NEWS Verify, on One Nation dropping Franco Guardiani as its Preston candidate. It describes his post calling Hitler the GOAT, reposts praising Hitler and earlier posts about the Holocaust, quotes Warren Pickering's statement and Guardiani's response after he confirmed the account was his, and notes his earlier candidacies in the federal seat of Batman.
- Author
- Richard Willingham and Michael Workman
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- One Nation drops Victorian election candidate Franco Guardiani over a post calling Hitler the 'GOAT'
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/one-nation-drops-franco-guardiani-hitler-goat-post
The Dispute Index. "One Nation drops Victorian election candidate Franco Guardiani over a post calling Hitler the 'GOAT'". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-12. https://disputeindex.com/cases/one-nation-drops-franco-guardiani-hitler-goat-post