President Trump's latest racist post has sparked an intense backlash within his own party, with several Republicans publicly condemning the video that superimposed Barack and Michelle Obama's faces onto apes.
The 62-second clip was swiftly attributed to an errant staffer and deleted from Trump's personal Truth Social feed after it went viral on social media. However, some observers have questioned the White House's initial attempt to downplay the post as a harmless "internet meme," citing no apes in Disney's Lion King.
Senators Tim Scott, Roger Wicker, and Rep. Mike Lawler have all spoken out against Trump's racist remarks, with Scott saying he was praying the video was fake due to its extreme nature, while Wicker described it as "totally unacceptable" and called for an apology from Trump.
This latest episode in a long history of racism by Trump is less surprising than the initial reaction from Republicans. In fact, his rhetoric has become increasingly ugly since returning to office last year, with references to Somali immigrants being described as "garbage" and "low-IQ," and the administration embracing white supremacist imagery and slogans.
The Republican party's response to Trump's racist post highlights their internal struggles, but it does not necessarily indicate a desire to distance themselves from him. Rather, it suggests that some within the party are starting to feel uneasy about his leadership style and rhetoric – an unease that could ultimately impact their standing with voters.
The 62-second clip was swiftly attributed to an errant staffer and deleted from Trump's personal Truth Social feed after it went viral on social media. However, some observers have questioned the White House's initial attempt to downplay the post as a harmless "internet meme," citing no apes in Disney's Lion King.
Senators Tim Scott, Roger Wicker, and Rep. Mike Lawler have all spoken out against Trump's racist remarks, with Scott saying he was praying the video was fake due to its extreme nature, while Wicker described it as "totally unacceptable" and called for an apology from Trump.
This latest episode in a long history of racism by Trump is less surprising than the initial reaction from Republicans. In fact, his rhetoric has become increasingly ugly since returning to office last year, with references to Somali immigrants being described as "garbage" and "low-IQ," and the administration embracing white supremacist imagery and slogans.
The Republican party's response to Trump's racist post highlights their internal struggles, but it does not necessarily indicate a desire to distance themselves from him. Rather, it suggests that some within the party are starting to feel uneasy about his leadership style and rhetoric – an unease that could ultimately impact their standing with voters.
! I mean, I know Trump's got a history of saying some pretty outrageous stuff, but this takes the cake (and it's not even from a bakery). Like, how do you mistake an ape meme for a harmless internet joke? 
And the fact that his staff thought they could just brush it off with "it was an internet meme" is just mind-boggling.
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. The party needs to take a closer look at who they're associated with and how that's affecting their image. We need more leaders like Tim Scott and Roger Wicker – you know, people who actually care about the values of equality and justice 
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. I mean, come on, who thought it was okay to superimpose Obama's faces onto monkeys? 
It's like they want people to think he's completely crazy and unfit for office 
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. And honestly, I don't think some Republicans are even trying to hide their disgust anymore 
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. The party needs to take a hard look at itself and decide if they're really okay with the kind of rhetoric Trump uses 
. I'm all for holding people in power accountable, but this is just getting ridiculous 
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I mean, I know we've had our share of controversy in the US too, but this guy Trump takes the cake... or is it a trash can 
? Anyway, I'm kinda surprised that some Republicans are finally speaking out against him, even if it's not like they're totally condemning him. Can someone explain to me how the party responds to these incidents again? Like, do they just ignore them or what? 
. Meanwhile, I'm just over here thinking about the Obama clips going viral in 2008 
. At least back then, people could actually laugh at a good meme without it being racist 
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Trump's racist post is just another example of how far gone he's gotten. Like, come on guys, this isn't some funny meme, it's actual racism. 
Either way, it's gonna be a wild ride
. The fact that some Republicans are speaking out against him is a good start, but it's about time they did something more than just issue a half-hearted apology 
But rather than getting worked up about it, I think we should be talking about how we can help create a more inclusive and respectful discourse online 
We need to find ways to educate ourselves and others about the harm that racist language can cause 
And honestly, if some people in Trump's party are starting to feel uneasy about his leadership style, that's a good thing! 
It means there are still some folks out there who care about doing what's right 
honestly, i'm so tired of politicians spewing hate speech and trying to play it off as a joke 
. if u're gonna tweet something that's gonna hurt ppl's feelings, at least have the decency to own up to it and apologize sincerely 
. what's next? is trumpa gonna start a new trend of white supremacy rallies or something? 
I mean, come on, using video editing to make those obamas look like monkeys is just low 
, we need more people standing up against hate and intolerance!
. The truth is, this kind of behavior has been a problem with Trump since day one and it's time for his party to take responsibility for their leaders' actions 
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