Trump's Sharing of Racist Obama Image Signals a Troubling New Reality
When a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes appeared on Donald Trump's social media feed, many initially dismissed it as a fabrication. Despite the former US president's well-documented history of racist rhetoric and actions, this overt dehumanisation seemed almost unbelievable. Kamali Melbourne, a presenter, reflects on the incident, noting that such imagery had long been relegated to the dustbin of history, though it persisted in white supremacist circles.
A History of Racist Incidents Underpins the Current Controversy
Trump's past is marred by numerous racist controversies. In the 1970s, he and his father faced a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice for allegedly refusing to rent apartments to black tenants. During the 1980s, he vocally supported the death penalty for the Central Park Five, five young black men wrongly convicted of rape, and even after their exoneration, he maintained their guilt. Additionally, he propagated the birther conspiracy theory, falsely claiming Barack Obama was not born in the US to delegitimise his presidency.
Yet, even with this backdrop, the recent post stands out for its brazenness. The argument that the full video context mitigates its racism is dismissed as naive and offensive. The creator chose to depict the Obamas as apes, and Trump chose to share it, normalising a trope that dehumanises black people and dates back centuries.
The Rise of Online Racism and Its Measurable Impact
Something has undeniably changed in public discourse, potentially fuelled by social media platforms. Racist language and behaviour have found a receptive audience online, with studies quantifying this alarming trend. In the US, research in the Journal of Epidemiology analysed 55 million tweets from 2011 to 2021, revealing a 16% increase in racist language. Following the Hamas attacks on October 7 and Israel's response, antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech surged by 919% and 422%, respectively, as reported by The New York Times.
In the UK, a study from Goldsmiths University found that 95% of minority groups encounter racist content online, with 16% seeing it daily. Furthermore, 42% of respondents stated that such exposure damages their mental health, highlighting the real-world consequences of digital bigotry.
Personal and Societal Repercussions of the Incident
For individuals like Kamali Melbourne, the incident hits close to home. While preparing for work, he had to shield his five-year-old son from the image, anticipating difficult conversations about racism reminiscent of those his mother had with him. This personal anecdote underscores the broader societal challenge: how to protect vulnerable groups from harmful content while addressing its proliferation.
The White House eventually deleted the post after approximately 12 hours, attributing it to a junior staffer—a curious explanation given Trump's claim to handle his own social media and the midnight posting time. Trump has not apologised, stating he did not make a mistake, though he claims to condemn the racist elements. The damage, however, is done, revealing a slippage in whatever decorum might have remained.
Legal and Historical Context Adds Depth to the Controversy
Historically, the 1973 lawsuit against Trump and his father for racial discrimination was settled without an admission of guilt. More recently, the Central Park Five have sued Trump for defamatory statements made during a 2024 presidential debate, with attempts to dismiss the case so far unsuccessful. These legal battles illustrate the ongoing repercussions of Trump's actions and rhetoric.
As society grapples with this new reality, the test lies in how we respond to future incidents. This will not be the last time such content surfaces, but collective vigilance and condemnation are crucial in combating the normalisation of racism in public life.
