Trump’s Truth Social Under Fire: Racist Obama Video Removed Amid Outcry, Apology Refused
A firestorm erupted on former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform this week after a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes was posted from his official account. The deeply offensive content, which also pushed unsubstantiated claims of 2020 election voter fraud, was eventually removed following widespread bipartisan condemnation. However, Trump himself has steadfastly refused to apologize for the post, claiming he “didn’t make a mistake.”
The Controversial Post and Its Swift Removal
The incendiary video, which superimposed the faces of the Obamas onto animated apes, appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday. It remained visible for approximately 12 hours, drawing immediate and fierce criticism from across the political spectrum. The clip was part of a broader conspiracy theory narrative concerning the integrity of voting machines in the 2020 presidential election.
By Friday morning, the video had been deleted from the platform. This removal came after a torrent of calls for its retraction, highlighting the severe backlash generated by the racist imagery.
Trump’s Defense: Condemnation Without Contrition
Confronted by reporters aboard Air Force One late Friday, Donald Trump addressed the controversy, stating unequivocally, “I didn’t make a mistake,” and adding that he would not apologize. He claimed to have only viewed the initial segment of the video, which he asserted focused on “voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is.”
“I didn’t see the whole thing,” Trump explained. “I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud… Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didn’t.” When pressed on whether he condemned the video’s content, Trump responded, “Of course I do.”
White House’s Shifting Narrative
Initially, the White House offered a robust defense of the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the brewing controversy as “fake outrage,” stating in an emailed comment that the video was part of “an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King.” She urged the media to “report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
However, hours later, as the video was deleted, a White House official, speaking anonymously, provided a different account. The official claimed that a staffer had “erroneously posted” the video and that Trump “had not seen that video before it was posted.” The source added that “as soon as he found out, he ordered it taken down.” The White House did not immediately clarify who the staffer was or the protocols for posting on the president’s official accounts.
Bipartisan Outrage and Calls for Accountability
The racist depiction drew sharp rebukes from prominent figures, including close allies of the former president. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a Black Republican and usually a staunch defender of Trump, expressed profound dismay on X (formerly Twitter).
“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott wrote, adding, “The President should remove it,” before the post was indeed taken down.
Representative Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), facing a challenging re-election bid, also condemned the post unequivocally. “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered,” Lawler stated on X.
Tracing the Video’s Origins
The controversial clip was found to be an excerpt from a longer video previously posted in October by a pro-Trump meme account on X. This extended version depicted Trump as a lion, set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and included other prominent Democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, Hakeem Jeffries, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also portrayed as various animals. The video Trump reposted bore the watermark of “Patriot News Outlet,” an entity that subsequently claimed complete unawareness of Trump’s post and declined to comment on its creation or purpose.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of content moderation on social media platforms and the significant political fallout that can arise from controversial online postings, especially those involving public figures and sensitive issues like race.
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