From The Hill: President Trump on Friday deleted a video first posted on his social media account late Thursday that included a brief clip of former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama depicted as apes.
The video was immediately criticized as racist by Democrats, and drew a particularly forceful response from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the only Black Republican senator and a close ally of the president. He called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and prayed it was a mistake.
The White House initially defended the depiction, saying it was from a meme related to “The Lion King” in which Trump is the king of the jungle and Democrats are characterized as various animals. But, by midday Friday, the video was taken down, and a White House official told The Hill it was posted by mistake.
“A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down,” the White House official said.
According to a Trump ally, Trump did not know about the video before it was posted, adding that the staffer “really let the president down” by posting it.
BACKLASH: Sen. Tim Scott slams Trump for post depicting Obamas as monkeys, then full video emerges
Read more at The Hill
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