On Feb 6, President Donald Trump posted a racist video on his Truth Social account depicting former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. The video has since been deleted, but the message stays the same: The White House condones racism from its President.
The Disney song, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” plays as multiple Democratic figures bow down to the King of the Jungle (Trump). The Obamas were shown at the end of the video with their faces photoshopped onto monkeys.
After initial backlash, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post and said, “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.” Refusing to acknowledge the actual harm caused by racism and the suggestion that frustration over blatant racism is “fake outrage” dismisses the trauma that Black Americans carry with them.
The depiction of Black people as monkeys is largely seen as a racist ideology. The trope has been used to dehumanize Black people for centuries and justify the discrimination and violence towards them. This isn’t just offensive; it takes from a history of harmful stereotypes that have very real effects on how people are perceived and treated to this day. To not only post this sentiment but defend its integrity as something not to be taken seriously is disgusting.
Especially during Black History Month, a time when our country is supposed to be celebrating and honoring Black culture. Instead, Trump’s video wrongfully displayed hateful stereotypes. By posting and refusing to apologize for such blatant racism, Trump is clearly stating its negative perception of Black Americans.
Even though Trump said he “didn’t see the whole thing,” he followed that with “No, I didn’t make a mistake… I look at a lot of thousands of things. And I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.” Whether or not he watched the full video, the failure to recognize why people were hurt shows a lack of awareness about how racism is in our society.
In this new age of social media, messages spread more quickly than ever. There are jobs designated entirely for overseeing content. It is difficult to believe that no one recognized the video’s offensive content. Even without watching the entire video, the imagery alone should have raised immediate concern. The President should not have to be asked to condemn racism; that condemnation should be immediate and clear.
This incident reflects a broader pattern in Trump’s past. When a president defends racial content, it implies that racial stereotyping is acceptable. Trust in leadership will continue to diminish as long as our country’s leaders cannot hold themselves accountable.
