Former President Donald Trump has launched a significant posting campaign on his Truth Social platform, prominently featuring nostalgic photographs that appear to highlight his relationships with numerous black celebrities. This digital strategy follows intense bipartisan criticism directed at an AI-generated video shared by Trump that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys within a jungle setting, alongside other lawmakers portrayed as various animals.
Bipartisan Condemnation and Defiant Response
The controversial AI video, which used imagery many interpreted as racially charged, provoked swift and widespread condemnation from both political parties. Despite the backlash, Trump issued no apology. Instead, he has chosen to intensify his social media activity, sharing a series of photographs and videos that showcase his interactions with high-profile black figures.
A Curated Timeline of Associations
Trump's posts include images and videos featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, music executive Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and the late pop icon Michael Jackson. Accompanying one collection, Trump wrote, 'How quickly people forget. So Sad! President DJT,' on the social media platform. Another post presented a TikTok video compilation showing Trump shaking hands with actor Will Smith, kissing black infants, embracing Oprah Winfrey, and socializing with rapper Snoop Dogg. This post was ironically captioned 'A Timeline of Trump's bigotry.'
In a separate post, Trump elaborated on his support for Michael Jackson during the singer's child molestation allegations, stating he was one of the few to stand by him. He reposted a video detailing their relationship, with the caption 'Donald Trump values loyalty greatly - and he was extremely loyal to Michael Jackson.' Additionally, Trump shared an old clip of Oprah Winfrey from another user, who noted, 'Oprah wanted Trump to run for president in 1988 on the same exact policies he holds today. Interesting.'
White House Video Removal and Internal Blame
The social media barrage comes after the White House removed the AI-generated video that featured the Obamas with monkey heads in a jungle scene. The video began with lyrics from The Lion King song, 'In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight.' Initially, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the content, describing it as 'an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters of The Lion King.' However, the post was deleted several hours later, with the administration attributing the error to a staffer who 'erroneously made the post.'
Republican Pushback and Historical Context
Members of Trump's own party expressed strong disapproval. Senator Tim Scott, the sole black member of the Senate, labeled the video the 'most racist thing' he has witnessed emanating from the White House. This incident is not isolated; last year, Trump posted an AI video depicting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a swirly mustache and sombrero, which Jeffries condemned as racist.
When questioned by reporters about the recent post, Trump defended the content, asserting, 'I didn't make a mistake.' He explained, 'I mean, I look at a lot of… thousands of things. And I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine… I guess it was a take on The Lion King. And certainly it was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud,' linking the video to his claims of election rigging.
The juxtaposition of the racially insensitive AI video with the celebratory posts about black celebrities has sparked further debate about Trump's messaging and its implications for racial relations in contemporary political discourse.
