Former President Donald Trump faced bipartisan condemnation and swiftly deleted a social media post on Friday that depicted former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The video, which appeared on Trump's Truth Social account late Thursday night, sparked outrage from both Republicans and Democrats, leading the White House to initially defend the post before later attributing it to a staffer's error.
The video, which included an AI-generated clip set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," featured images of the Obamas' faces superimposed on the bodies of apes in a jungle setting, according to Time. The clip was part of a larger video promoting conspiracy theories about voting fraud during the 2020 presidential election, Time reported. The depiction of the Obamas as apes is a racist trope used to dehumanize Black people.
The post was deleted after calls for its removal, including from Republicans, according to Fortune. The White House initially dismissed criticism, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplaying the outrage. However, after the backlash intensified, the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously, Fortune reported.
The controversy surrounding the post comes as other news stories are also making headlines. The release of files connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has put Britain's government under scrutiny, according to Time. Disclosures from the Epstein investigation have already impacted the monarchy, with Prince Andrew facing renewed calls for accountability, Time reported. Additionally, Netflix settled a defamation lawsuit brought by a former Vanity Fair staffer who claimed she was falsely portrayed in the series "Inventing Anna," according to Variety.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny is set to make history as the first Latin solo artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, according to Time. His performance comes after the Grammy Awards, where many celebrities, including Bad Bunny, criticized President Trump's immigration policies, Time reported. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell backed the selection of the 31-year-old artist, stating that Bad Bunny is "one of the great artists in the world," according to Time.
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