US President Donald Trump has removed a social media video which included a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The clip - set to the song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' - was at the end of a 62-second video containing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Republican Senator Tim Scott - who is black - had called for the president to remove the post, describing it as 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House'.
The White House initially defended the clip as an 'internet meme video' and told critics to 'stop the fake outrage'. However, the video, reminiscent of racist caricatures comparing black people to monkeys, sparked a fierce backlash, both from political opponents and members of Trump’s own party. Senator Scott stated that he was 'praying it was fake' and called for its removal.
After significant criticism, including from NAACP president Derrick Johnson, who labeled it 'disgusting and utterly despicable', a White House official eventually stated that the post was made in error and subsequently taken down. The video that stirred such controversy also included claims about voting conspiracies that have been debunked. Trump's history of racial comments and attacks on Obama further complicated the issue, with many reflecting on how such depictions persist in American political discourse.
The White House initially defended the clip as an 'internet meme video' and told critics to 'stop the fake outrage'. However, the video, reminiscent of racist caricatures comparing black people to monkeys, sparked a fierce backlash, both from political opponents and members of Trump’s own party. Senator Scott stated that he was 'praying it was fake' and called for its removal.
After significant criticism, including from NAACP president Derrick Johnson, who labeled it 'disgusting and utterly despicable', a White House official eventually stated that the post was made in error and subsequently taken down. The video that stirred such controversy also included claims about voting conspiracies that have been debunked. Trump's history of racial comments and attacks on Obama further complicated the issue, with many reflecting on how such depictions persist in American political discourse.
