Trump's Racist Obama Video Sparks Democratic Fury and Republican Silence
Top Democrats erupted with outrage on Friday, challenging Republicans to respond after Donald Trump posted a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The clip, shared during one of the 79-year-old president's late-night posting sprees on his Truth Social account, shows the laughing faces of the Obamas superimposed on the bodies of primates in a jungle setting, set to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
Democratic Leaders Demand Immediate Condemnation
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader and New York congressman, took to social media to demand action. "Why are GOP leaders like John Thune continuing to stand by this sick individual? Every single Republican must immediately denounce Donald Trump's disgusting bigotry," he posted on X. The video, which circulated for approximately twelve hours before being removed, prompted widespread condemnation from Democratic officials who labelled it as overtly racist and degrading.
Limited Republican Response and White House Defence
Only a handful of Republicans spoke out against the video. Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator and the only Black Republican in the chamber, called it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House" and urged the president to take it down. During the interim, administration officials attempted to downplay the controversy, defending Trump's repost as merely "an internet meme video." Multiple news outlets later cited a senior White House official claiming the post was "erroneously" made by a staff member.
From Air Force One later on Friday, Trump refused to apologise, asserting that while he approved an aide sharing the video on his account, he did not view the segment containing the racist depiction of the Obamas. Notably, neither John Thune, the Senate majority leader, nor Mike Johnson, the House speaker, offered any comment, leading Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to post on X: "Racist. Vile. Abhorrent. This is dangerous and degrades our country – where are Senate Republicans?"
Additional Political Developments
In other news, Donald Trump has proposed to unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York City if Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer supports renaming Dulles International Airport and Penn Station after him. Meanwhile, indirect talks between Iran and the US regarding Iran's nuclear programme concluded with a broad agreement to maintain diplomatic engagement, possibly with further discussions in the coming days.
A pardoned January 6 rioter has pleaded guilty to harassment charges over threats to kill House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. On the economic front, the Dow Jones industrial average surpassed 50,000 for the first time, driven by tech gains and hopes of lower interest rates, with Trump attempting to credit the market climb to his tariff policies.
Further Updates from the Day
- Documents obtained by the Guardian and Associated Press contradict Robert F Kennedy Jr's testimony about a 2019 trip to Samoa ahead of a measles outbreak.
- The search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC's Savannah Guthrie, entered its sixth day in Arizona, with authorities believing she is still alive.
- The Pentagon has ended all military training and programmes with Harvard University, marking another escalation against the Ivy League institution.
- Concerns over ICE enforcement operations have surfaced ahead of Super Bowl celebrations in Santa Clara.
- Far-right influencer and US Senate candidate Jake Lang was arrested for damaging an anti-ICE sculpture in Minnesota.
- A special Democratic primary in northern New Jersey remains tightly contested, with a progressive challenger leading unexpectedly.
