WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump's social media post featuring a racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes was removed by the White House on Friday, hours after it was initially defended. The controversial video, which amplified false claims about the 2020 presidential election, drew swift condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.
According to a White House official, a staffer "erroneously made the post." The video was taken down after Mr. Trump faced widespread criticism. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had initially defended the footage, calling it part of an "internet meme video." However, the White House later removed the post.
Trump, speaking on Air Force One, claimed he "didn't see" the offensive imagery. He stated he only viewed the beginning of the video, which focused on alleged voter fraud. "I just looked at the first part," he said, adding, "I didn't see the whole thing. I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a picture that people don't like. I wouldn't like it either, but I didn't see it." He suggested a staffer posted the video to his Truth Social account.
The video's content sparked immediate backlash. Several Republican lawmakers publicly urged Trump to remove it. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, wrote, "Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House."
In other news, the Pentagon announced Friday it was cutting ties with Harvard University, ending all military training, fellowships, and certificate programs with the Ivy League institution. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Harvard "no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services."
Also on Friday, a federal appeals court endorsed the Trump administration's policy of holding many ICE detainees without bond hearings. A panel of judges at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the administration had properly reinterpreted an immigration law, disqualifying many unauthorized immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement from bond hearings.
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