Former President Donald Trump has highlighted black voter support for voter identification laws in a cryptic social media post, mere hours after he ignited a massive backlash for sharing a meme that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle, including from senior Republican figures.
Voter ID Data Shared Amid Controversy
On Friday, Trump posted a screengrab from a recent CNN broadcast revealing that Americans across all racial demographics overwhelmingly support voter ID requirements. The data indicated 85 percent support among white voters, 82 percent among Latino voters, and 76 percent among black voters. In his post, Trump notably circled the proportion of black voters, emphasising this statistic.
The former president has consistently championed voter ID as a cornerstone policy of his political agenda. However, the initiative faces staunch opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who argue that such measures could disenfranchise significant segments of the population, particularly minority voters including black Americans.
Racist Meme Sparks Widespread Condemnation
Trump's voter ID post followed a late-night meme he shared on his Truth Social platform, which depicted the Obamas with their faces superimposed on ape bodies, set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens. The video clip, originally from a pro-Trump account on X, focused on allegations of fraud during the 2020 election and concluded with the offensive imagery.
The post triggered immediate and widespread condemnation. A White House spokesman later stated, "A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," without identifying the individual responsible. This reversal came after press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, accusing critics of "fake outrage" and describing it as an internet meme depicting Trump as the "King of the Jungle" and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
Republican Senators Join Criticism
Prominent Republican senators swiftly denounced the video. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican in the Senate, called it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House." Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi posted on X, "This is totally unacceptable. The president should take it down and apologize." Similarly, Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote, "Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize."
Democratic leaders also voiced strong disapproval. California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office labelled it "disgusting behavior by the President," urging every Republican to denounce it. Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko stated, "This is overt racism. Full stop. There's no 'misinterpretation' and no excuse. This is who he is, who he's always been, and why he should never be anywhere near power again."
Longstanding Feud with Obama
Trump's contentious relationship with Barack Obama dates back decades, beginning with his promotion of birther conspiracy theories questioning Obama's birthplace. Since starting his second term, Trump has escalated attacks against the former president on social media, accusing him of "treason" for allegedly spying on his 2016 presidential campaign over Russian interference claims.
Trump has previously posted AI-generated memes on Truth Social showing Obama's arrest and imprisonment, further fueling the feud. The recent video of the Obamas garnered over 2,500 likes and was reposted more than 1,100 times on Truth Social before its removal. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Obamas for comment on the incident.
