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President Donald Trump shared a video portraying the Obamas as apes, triggering swift condemnation and claims of blatant racism — together with from a number of Republican lawmakers.
The video, shared on Fact Social final night time, confirmed Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces superimposed onto apes in a jungle, swaying aspect to aspect and smiling because the track “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” performed within the background. The clip was overlaid by a watermark from X consumer @XERIAS_X, a Trump-supporting meme account with 46,000 followers.
On Friday morning, a White Home official instructed The Impartial {that a} staffer — not the president — had “erroneously made the submit.” It has since been deleted from his Fact Social web page.
Earlier within the day, White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the clip as innocent.
In an announcement supplied to The Impartial, she stated: “That is from an web meme video depicting President Trump because the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please cease the pretend outrage and report on one thing at the moment that really issues to the American public.”
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The clip, which was up for 12 hours, was met with disgust by quite a few politicians, tv hosts and different high-profile figures.
Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and shut ally of Trump’s, was one in all plenty of GOP officers to accuse the president of crossing the road.
“Praying it was pretend as a result of it’s probably the most racist factor I’ve seen out of this White Home,” Scott wrote on X. “The President ought to take away it.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican — whose district voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 — additionally slammed the president.
“The President’s submit is unsuitable and extremely offensive — whether or not intentional or a mistake — and needs to be deleted instantly with an apology provided,” he wrote on social media.
GOP criticism has grown over the course of the morning with extra denunciations from high-ranking officers.
In a submit on X, Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican known as the video “completely unacceptable” and requesting that the president apologize. In the meantime, Senator Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, wrote: “Even when this was a Lion King meme, an inexpensive individual sees the racist context to this.”
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Probably the most scathing remarks, although, got here from Democrats — a few of whom stated they have been in no way stunned by the president’s habits.
“Donald Trump had the racist, bigoted audacity to submit an AI-generated video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Woman Michelle Obama as apes,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat, wrote on X. “Whereas his habits is just not stunning, it’s definitely disgusting and disturbing.”
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer described the video as “Racist, “Vile” and “Abhorrent,” whereas Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries responded by labeling Trump an “unhinged and malignant backside feeder.”
“He needs to be ashamed of himself, if he have been able to disgrace,” former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated in an announcement. “Taking it down is just not sufficient. The White Home should apologize for this past disgusting habits.”
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Various Democrats questioned whether or not their Republican colleagues would have the “ethical braveness” to sentence the submit.
When requested concerning the clip on CNN, Rep. Mike Haridopolos, a Florida Republican, stated he had not watched it.
“Properly, I’ve not seen that video to you, simply confirmed it to me,” he stated. When pressed on the matter, he stated: “Properly, I am going to check out it proper after our present…You form of threw it at me proper right here.”
On Friday morning, MS NOW host Joe Scarborough criticized GOP officers for failing to denounce the video. “All you are doing is making your self look pathetic – Republicans – for not standing as much as this open racism and bigotry,” he stated. CNN anchor Jake Tapper additionally derided the submit as “vile & racist.”
Trump has an extended historical past of attacking the Obamas, usually utilizing incendiary rhetoric, which has drawn accusations of racism.
Previous to his entry into politics, Trump repeatedly promoted the unsubstantiated declare that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, demanding he present the general public his start certificates. In 2011, Obama launched his long-form start certificates proving he’d been born in Hawaii. Throughout a information convention, he decried Trump as a “carnival barker.”
Trump lastly acknowledged that the previous Democratic president was born in america shortly earlier than the 2016 election.
