Trump's Racist Obama Video Ignites Democratic Fury and Republican Silence
Top Democrats erupted with outrage on Friday, challenging Republicans to respond after former President Donald Trump posted a blatantly racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The clip appeared during one of the 79-year-old's frequent late-night posting sprees on his Truth Social account, showing the laughing faces of the former president and first lady superimposed on primate bodies in a jungle setting, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
Democratic Leaders Demand Republican Condemnation
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader and New York congressman, posted on X: "Why are GOP leaders like Senate majority leader John Thune continuing to stand by this sick individual? Every single Republican must immediately denounce Donald Trump's disgusting bigotry." Only a few Republicans spoke out against the overtly racist content. Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator and the only Black Republican in that chamber, called it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House" and urged Trump to remove it.
Trump's Delayed Response and Refusal to Apologize
It took twelve hours for the post to be removed, during which administration officials attempted to brush off the outrage, defending Trump's repost as "an internet meme video." Multiple outlets cited a senior White House official claiming the post was "erroneously" made by a staffer. Trump later weighed in from Air Force One, refusing to apologize and asserting that while he approved an aide sharing the video on his account, he did not see the racist depiction of the Obamas.
Republican Leadership Remains Silent
Neither of the top two Republicans in Congress, John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, offered any comment, prompting Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to post on X: "Racist. Vile. Abhorrent. This is dangerous and degrades our country – where are Senate Republicans?" The incident highlights deep partisan divides, with Democrats united in condemnation while most Republicans avoided addressing the controversy directly.
Broader Political Context and Other Developments
In related news, Trump has told Senate top Democrat Chuck Schumer that he will unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York City if Schumer supports renaming Dulles International Airport and Penn Station after him. Meanwhile, indirect talks between Iran and the US on Iran's nuclear programme ended with a broad agreement to maintain a diplomatic path. Additionally, a pardoned January 6 rioter pleaded guilty to threatening Hakeem Jeffries, and the Dow Jones hit 50,000 for the first time, with Trump claiming the market climb as evidence of his tariff policies' success.
Other key stories from the day include documents undermining Robert F Kennedy Jr's testimony about a trip to Samoa ahead of a measles outbreak, the ongoing search for NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother in Arizona, and the Pentagon ending military training programs with Harvard University. As tens of thousands prepare for the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, concerns about ICE enforcement operations linger, and a far-right influencer was arrested for damaging an anti-ICE sculpture in Minnesota.
