The White House removes Trump's offensive video about Obama: Details of the incident
In an incident that sparked widespread controversy in American political circles, the White House announced on Friday the removal of a video posted to President Donald Trump's Truth Social account, describing it as an unintentional error by a staff member. The deleted video contained racist and offensive content depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys, prompting swift action to rectify the situation.
A White House official told AFP that the video "was posted by a staff member in error and has been deleted," attempting to distance the administration from the content, which many described as offensive. This incident further heightens political tensions, especially since the video not only contained personal insults but also promoted conspiracy theories concerning the integrity of the election.
Details of the controversial video
The one-minute video, which was viewed by thousands before being removed, promoted baseless claims about Dominion Voting Systems. It alleged that the company helped rig the 2020 election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. In the video's closing scenes, the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama were superimposed onto the bodies of monkeys for approximately one second, a tactic that exploits historically racist stereotypes used to demean people of color.
The context of conspiracy theories and their implications
It is important to note that the claims made by Dominion have been repeatedly refuted by US courts and independent investigations. These allegations have previously led to substantial legal settlements, most notably Fox News' agreement to pay the company $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit, acknowledging that promoting these falsehoods was illegal. Reposting such claims from a presidential account reopens sensitive issues concerning trust in the US electoral system.
A history of political and racial tension
This video cannot be separated from the historical context of the strained relationship between Trump and Obama, which began years ago with Trump's promotion of the "birther" theory that questioned Obama's American citizenship. Furthermore, the use of animal comparisons against African Americans is one of the oldest and most abhorrent forms of racism in American history, which explains the wave of outrage that swept across social media and human rights circles immediately after the video's release.
Political reactions
The video sparked widespread condemnation from Democratic leaders. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a leading potential presidential candidate in 2028, strongly denounced the incident. In contrast, Caroline Leavitt, Trump's spokesperson, attempted to downplay the reactions, describing Democratic outrage as "manufactured," highlighting the continued deep polarization of the American political landscape.
