Key facts
- One Nation Victoria disendorsed Preston candidate Franco Guardiani after a now deleted X post calling Adolf Hitler the "GOAT."
- Victorian leader Warren Pickering said the party acted as soon as it became aware and that Guardiani is no longer part of One Nation.
- A party official discussed the posts with Guardiani and confirmed they were real, according to the report.
- The former candidate's X account contains several Islamophobic comments, including references to bulldozing or setting fire to mosques.
- It is unclear how the social media history was not detected during candidate selection and vetting.
One Nation Victoria disendorsed its candidate for Preston, Franco Guardiani, on November 10, 2026, after a now deleted post on X in which he described Adolf Hitler as the "GOAT," an acronym for greatest of all time. The post was a reply to a prompt asking users to describe Hitler in one word.
The party was made aware of Guardiani's social media posts on the morning of November 10 and disendorsed him a short time later. A party official discussed the posts with Guardiani and confirmed they were real, according to the report.
"At a time when Jewish Australians are experiencing unprecedented persecution, we are appalled that these comments have been made," said the party's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering. "As soon as we became aware, we acted. Preston candidate Franco Guardiani is no longer part of our party." He added that anyone holding such views has no place in One Nation.
The former candidate's X account contains several Islamophobic comments, including references to bulldozing or setting fire to mosques, and has engaged with posts by the anti-immigrant group Kights Templar International. It is unclear how the social media history was not detected during candidate selection and vetting, a process the party has said it invested time and money in improving. Guardiani is no longer listed as a One Nation candidate on the party's official website and has been contacted for comment.