Here we are again. Trump—yeah that one, and no, he doesn’t deserve the respect of his title—posted a video on his anything-but-“Truth” Social platform depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
It wasn’t an image hidden in the slums of the internet. It wasn’t some rando content from an anonymous troll account. It was a video, amplified by the so-called President of the United States, reducing the first Black president and first lady to a despicable racist caricature.
During Black History Month, no less.
This is racism coming from the Oval Office.
The comparison of Black people to monkeys is one of the vilest tropes out there. It’s been used for centuries to dehumanize, to justify slavery, to deny humanity. Trump knows this. Everyone knows this. The hateful idiot posted it anyway.
His shameless defender, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, first had the balls to defend the post, calling the criticism “fake outrage” and claiming it was just a Lion King meme. Hours later, after Republican Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” the post disappeared. The White House blamed an unnamed staffer who “erroneously” posted it.
Yeah right. Does anyone believe a random, lowly staffer controls Trump’s personal Truth Social account? Trump obsesses over his social media. He didn’t miss this. He likely stared at it with glee for hours.
This isn’t new. Trump spent years pushing the birther lie about Obama. He called Mexican immigrants rapists. He labeled certain nations “shithole countries.” He told American-born congresswomen of color to “go back” where they came from. No, Trump’s racist post wasn’t out of character.
A sitting president posted openly racist content and it barely registered as shocking. We’ve become so numb to this. That might be worse than the post itself. And save your racist eye rolls and pathetic excuses of it’s just Trump being Trump. Yes it is. But when we no longer speak out against it, we become part of his rotting, stinking trash.
Here in West Hollywood, we pride ourselves on being a city that stands against hatred in all its forms. We’ve passed resolutions condemning discrimination. We’ve built a city on the principle that diversity isn’t just tolerated—it’s celebrated. And now we wake up to a president who traffics in the ugliest of ugly racism.
No surprise the Obamas are not giving Trump the satisfaction of a response. And why should they? Their silence speaks to a class and dignity the lowly Trump could never comprehend. But dignity in the face of racism shouldn’t be required of those attacked. The burden of condemnation belongs to the rest of us.
Every elected official needs to answer whether they condemn this post. Every corporate leader who has normalized Trump needs to answer if this is acceptable leadership. Every American needs to decide if this is okay from the president. If we can’t draw a line at the President of the United States posting racist depictions of a former president, we have no lines left.
Trump’s racist Obama post proves what we already knew: He’s trash. A national disgrace, not a national leader. Trump is trash not because of policy differences. Because he has shown repeatedly that he views certain Americans—Black Americans, queer Americans, Latino Americans, Muslim Americans, immigrant Americans—as lesser. As targets.
It’s long past time we took out this trash and left him on the curb of history.
HELLO! He’s done it his whole life. Current news bad but par for the course of his public life in NYC and White House
When I posted a comment on an online site that Trump was a bigot my post was removed. Does that word. seem more offensive than Trump portraying a FINE president and his First Lady as monkeys/apes? I asked if portraying Trump with horns and tail would then be an acceptable image…..the answer has not yet been posted. What do yo think. I have always been told that racial slurs of any kind are bigoted and ugly and wrong. Were my parents liars?
Great letter. This piece of garbage must be taken out. Of office that is. Anyone who still thinks he is good for this country is either a billionaire or a racist, or both, or JUST PLAIN STUPID.
I agree!
Thank you for this Brian!
Does Rump not have any Black employees in his entire Administration? How can they not be suing him (and easily winning?) for creating a toxic workplace (not to mention a toxic America) with posts such as this?
HUD Secretary.
The entire Administration is demented.
Demented is too mild a word. These people are racists and the same ilk of people this country fought in theCivil War. We need to speak out until we have rid America of bigots in office.