White House Attributes Racist Video on Trump's Account to Staff Error, Removes Content
The White House issued a statement on Friday clarifying that a racist video shared from former US President Donald Trump's social media account was posted by mistake by a staff member and has since been taken down. A White House official told AFP, "A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down." This incident has ignited a firestorm of criticism from Democratic leaders and former officials, who labeled the imagery as deeply offensive and unacceptable.
Video Content and Immediate Backlash
The video was originally posted on Thursday, local time, on Trump's Truth Social platform. It propagated unfounded claims that Dominion Voting Systems played a role in stealing the 2020 presidential election. More alarmingly, the video briefly featured edited images of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed onto monkeys, a blatantly racist depiction.
The post triggered an immediate and forceful backlash. The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a sharp condemnation, stating, "Disgusting behavior by the president. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now." Ben Rhodes, a former national security adviser and close aide to Barack Obama, also voiced his outrage on social media platform X, writing, "Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying him as a stain on our history."
Response from Trump's Camp and Social Media Reaction
Despite the removal, the video had already garnered over 1,000 likes on Truth Social by early Friday morning. Trump's spokeswoman dismissed the widespread criticism, characterizing it as "fake outrage." This dismissal has further fueled the controversy, highlighting the polarized reactions to the incident.
This is not an isolated event. Since beginning his second term, Trump has frequently utilized social media to share digitally altered images and videos. For instance, last year, he circulated an AI-generated video depicting Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office and subsequently shown in an orange jumpsuit behind bars. Such actions have consistently drawn scrutiny and condemnation from various quarters.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Scrutiny
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about the use of social media by political figures to spread misleading or offensive content. The rapid dissemination and removal of the video highlight the challenges in moderating content on platforms like Truth Social, especially when it involves high-profile accounts.
As the story develops, it raises critical questions about accountability and the ethical responsibilities of public officials in the digital age. The White House's swift action to remove the video may mitigate some damage, but the fallout from this episode is likely to persist, influencing public discourse and political dynamics in the coming days.
