Republicans Condemn Racist Video Depicting Obama Family as Apes

US President Donald Trump’s social media post has sparked widespread criticism after he shared a video depicting former Presidents Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes.

The reposted clip was part of a series of late-night messages on Trump’s Truth Social account, which were removed by the platform shortly after being posted. The video had been taken down by midday on Friday, but not before an outpouring of bipartisan condemnation from lawmakers and politicians.

Senator Tim Scott called for the removal of the post, stating that he was “praying” it was fake due to its racist nature. Representative Mike Lawler also expressed his disapproval, labeling the post as “incredibly offensive”. Democrats tied the video to Trump’s history of insensitive remarks, with House Representative Hakeem Jeffries calling for Republicans to condemn the episode.

The White House initially defended the post as an “internet meme”, but later clarified that it had been shared “erroneously” by a staffer, not by the president. The incident has sparked renewed criticism of Trump’s social media use and his history of divisive rhetoric.

Trump has repeatedly used social media platforms to share content generated through artificial intelligence, often promoting his public image and political platform. The video in question was part of a documentary-style segment that pushed baseless claims about the 2020 presidential election.

Source: Al Jazeera