The White House removed a social media post shared by former President Donald Trump on Friday that included a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, hours after initially defending the video. The move came amid widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans. Simultaneously, the Justice Department announced the arrest and extradition of Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 Benghazi attack, and released additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The video, which Trump shared on his social media platform, featured an animation of the Obamas with ape-like features, sparking immediate backlash. The video also included debunked claims about the 2020 election. According to a White House official, the post was made "erroneously" by a staffer. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously defended the video, describing it as part of an "internet meme" that portrayed Trump as the "King of the Jungle."
In a separate development, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 Benghazi attack. Al-Bakoush was transferred to the U.S. overnight and landed at Andrews Air Force Base. The attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound and a nearby CIA outpost in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others. Bondi made the announcement alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
The Justice Department also released additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday. The latest batch, accessible in Data Sets 9, 10, 11, and 12, includes tens of thousands of pages of material, such as photos, videos, court records, FBI and DOJ documents, news clippings, and emails. Some files mention prominent figures, including President Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and billionaire Elon Musk, who have not been tied to any wrongdoing. The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandated the DOJ to produce files related to the late sex offender and his co-conspirators.
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