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In a striking rebuke to his party’s presumptive nominee, Republican Senator Tim Scott has publicly called on former President Donald Trump to remove a video from his social media account that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, describing it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
“Praying it was fake,” Scott added in his own social media post. The controversial content appeared to have been removed by Friday afternoon after generating significant backlash.
The one-minute video, originally produced by an outlet called Patriot News, featured the Obamas’ faces superimposed on animated monkeys while “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played in the background. Before reaching this inflammatory imagery, the video promoted debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, claiming that Dominion Voting Systems helped “steal” the election for Joe Biden.
By Friday morning, Trump’s post had already garnered thousands of likes and reposts, spreading the racially charged content across social media platforms before its removal.
Political strategist Adam Parkhomenko was among many who condemned the imagery, writing: “This is overt racism. Full stop. There’s no ‘misinterpretation’ and no excuse. This is who he is, who he’s always been, and why he should never be anywhere near power again.”
The press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom similarly denounced the post as “disgusting behavior by the President,” adding that “Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
Scott’s criticism is particularly notable as he has generally been a Trump ally and was previously considered a potential vice-presidential candidate on the Republican ticket. As one of the few Black Republican senators, his condemnation carries additional weight in addressing the racial implications of the content.
Beyond the racist imagery targeting the first Black president and first lady in American history, the video promoted several false claims about voting machines in battleground states being manipulated, hidden wireless modems transmitting vote data, and vote counting pauses being used to alter results. These allegations echo conspiracy theories that have been repeatedly rejected by courts, state officials, and federal agencies, which found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Dominion Voting Systems, the company at the center of many of these false claims, reached a $787.5 million defamation settlement with Fox News in 2023 over similar allegations broadcast on the network.
This incident comes as Trump has increasingly suggested that the federal government should take greater control over election administration, a proposal that legal scholars note conflicts with the Constitution’s delegation of election management to individual states.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within the Republican Party regarding Trump’s rhetoric and behavior, with some members like Scott willing to speak out against content they find objectionable, while many others remain silent even in the face of explicitly racist material.
Political analysts suggest this latest incident could complicate Republican efforts to expand their appeal to minority voters ahead of the upcoming election, particularly as the party has been working to make inroads with Black and Latino communities in key battleground states.
As of publication time, Trump has not issued any public statement addressing the criticism or explaining his decision to share and subsequently remove the inflammatory content.
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10 Comments
While I respect the right to free speech, this video crosses a line. Promoting racist stereotypes is unacceptable, regardless of political affiliation. I hope leaders from all sides condemn this in the strongest possible terms.
Couldn’t agree more. Racism has no place in our political discourse. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and focus on the real issues facing our country.
This video is a clear example of the kind of hateful rhetoric that has no place in our political discourse. We should be able to disagree without resorting to dehumanizing and racist imagery. I hope this is widely condemned.
Agreed. This is a concerning trend that we need to address head-on. Political disagreements should be about the issues, not personal attacks or the promotion of harmful stereotypes.
I’m troubled by the use of such blatantly racist imagery, even if meant as political criticism. We should be able to disagree without resorting to dehumanizing tactics. This undermines the integrity of the democratic process.
Absolutely right. Stooping to these kinds of tactics only serves to further divide us. We need to find ways to have substantive, nuanced debates on the issues.
This video appears to be deeply offensive and racially charged. While I appreciate healthy political debate, promoting harmful stereotypes crosses a line. I hope this is condemned universally and not tolerated, regardless of political affiliation.
Agreed, this type of content should have no place in our political discourse. We must uphold basic human decency and reject racism in all its forms.
I’m deeply disturbed by the use of this racially offensive content. Even if intended as political criticism, it only serves to further inflame tensions and undermine our democratic values. We must do better.
Absolutely. This type of behavior is unacceptable and counterproductive. We need to find ways to engage in robust political debate without resorting to harmful stereotypes and divisive tactics.