The White House has taken down a post by former President Donald Trump on his social media platform Truth Social, which featured a racist video depicting the Obamas as apes.
The video was reposted by Trump from an internet meme video that shows him as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. However, many politicians, including members of both parties, have condemned the post, calling it "vile", "racist", and "disgusting".
The White House initially defended the post, saying it was an internet meme video, but later took it down after facing intense backlash. A senior White House official said that a staffer made the mistake of posting the video, which has since been taken down.
Trump's post has sparked outrage among many Americans, with some calling for him to be held accountable for his words. The incident highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding Trump's handling of racist and divisive rhetoric during his presidency.
In response to the backlash, several politicians have called on Republicans to speak out against Trump's behavior and condemn the racist video. Some have also pointed out that the White House's initial defense of the post was tone-deaf and insensitive.
The incident has sparked a wider conversation about the role of social media in spreading hate speech and the responsibility of public figures to promote inclusivity and respect for all individuals.
Despite the backlash, Trump remains unapologetic about his words, telling the Senate's top Democrat that he will unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York City if he supports renaming Dulles international airport and Penn Station after him.
The video was reposted by Trump from an internet meme video that shows him as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. However, many politicians, including members of both parties, have condemned the post, calling it "vile", "racist", and "disgusting".
The White House initially defended the post, saying it was an internet meme video, but later took it down after facing intense backlash. A senior White House official said that a staffer made the mistake of posting the video, which has since been taken down.
Trump's post has sparked outrage among many Americans, with some calling for him to be held accountable for his words. The incident highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding Trump's handling of racist and divisive rhetoric during his presidency.
In response to the backlash, several politicians have called on Republicans to speak out against Trump's behavior and condemn the racist video. Some have also pointed out that the White House's initial defense of the post was tone-deaf and insensitive.
The incident has sparked a wider conversation about the role of social media in spreading hate speech and the responsibility of public figures to promote inclusivity and respect for all individuals.
Despite the backlash, Trump remains unapologetic about his words, telling the Senate's top Democrat that he will unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York City if he supports renaming Dulles international airport and Penn Station after him.
. This racist video thing is completely unacceptable and it's not okay that Trump got to share it on his own platform for a hot second before they took it down. It's like, you can't just spew hate speech and expect no one to call you out on it. The fact that some people thought the White House was okay with this is super concerning... 
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like what even was the white house thinking posting that video first? they were all like "its just an internet meme" but we all know how that went down 
and trump's response is literally just a masterclass in being completely tone deaf and clueless 
he's trying to play the victim and act like no one's fault, but really it's just him being his usual racist self 
meanwhile the fact that the white house had to take it down shows they can't even get their own staff to make good decisions 
And now Trump is still saying he's not sorry for his words, which just shows how out of touch he is with reality 
. I think it's time someone called him out on this and held him accountable for what comes out of that mouth 
. And can we please talk about the role of social media in spreading hate speech? It's like, totally our problem now 
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I just can't believe what's going on here. Like, how can someone share a video like that? It's so hurtful 
. I mean, I know he's always been known for being...different, but this takes the cake. Or should I say, it takes the bananas 
. Like, come on, Trump! How could you do that to the Obamas? They're like, really nice people 
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. I mean, I know we're all human beings and all that, but come on! Can't we just get along? 
. and now that they've taken down the post, i'm sure trump will just blame someone else or make a ridiculous excuse... honestly, it's getting old 
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. it's like, trump's words are not just hurtful to the obamas, but also to people of color everywhere 
. and it's not just trump, there are so many public figures who use their platforms to spread hate and intolerance.
. And public figures? Come on, you're supposed to be setting an example for your followers, not perpetuating racism and division 
. Trump may think he's above it all, but at the end of the day, his words have real-world consequences 
! Like, who posts a racist meme and then gets all upset when people call it out? 
And if that means calling out public figures who say hurtful things, then so be it.
I dont think Trump should be able to just unfreeze funds for him because of some petty thing he wants like yeah sure no pressure or anything 
. Anyway, I'm glad the White House took down the post, but we need more than just a tweet-sized apology to fix this problem 
. I get it, he wants to get re-elected and win support from Republicans. But come on, man. Can't you just show some basic decency and respect for everyone's feelings? It seems like he's more worried about his own ego than doing what's right.
The White House should've spoken out stronger against this from the get-go, instead of making excuses or downplaying it. It's time for everyone in power to take responsibility for their words and actions. We need more leaders who promote love, respect, and inclusivity! 
... It's racist and hurtful to the Obamas and to people of color in general. The White House should have known better than to defend that post 
. Now they're saying it was an internet meme video, but I don't think that excuses the way Trump is using his platform to spread hate 
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the whole thing is just so messed up, i mean i get it people can say whatever they want online but to actually post a video like that with no remorse...nope. the white house finally took it down after all the backlash and i'm glad about that. it's not right to defend something like that as an internet meme 