WASHINGTON (AP) — A recent social media post by President Donald Trump, which featured a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates, has sparked outrage. The White House's response to the controversy has been inconsistent, initially describing the backlash as 'fake outrage' before deleting the video and attributing its posting to a staff error.
Despite the president's insistence that he 'didn't make a mistake,' Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, condemned the video as a clear act of malice intended to hurt individuals. In an interview with The Associated Press, she expressed her discontent with the culture of racism that seems to permeate the White House. 'As my mother would say, “Too late. Mercy’s gone,”' said Clarke.
Clarke articulated her perspective on how the actions of the White House are reflective of a toxic climate that fosters bigotry. 'Every week, we are put in a position to respond to something cruel or troubling that this administration does,' she stated. Clarke stressed the importance of recognizing the implications of such messaging from a figurehead like the president, particularly for young Black children.
When asked about the lack of truthful communication from the White House regarding the incident, she remarked, 'If there wasn’t a climate, a toxic and racist climate within the White House, we wouldn’t see this type of behavior regardless of who is coming from.' Clarke also criticized the absence of outreach from the administration to the Congressional Black Caucus on this issue, indicating that meaningful dialogue should have occurred before such an incident.
With elections approaching, Clarke suggested that some may perceive the swift Republican criticism of the incident as politically motivated, acknowledging that constituents are paying attention. The congresswoman reflected on Trump's uncommon retraction of the video as a matter of political expediency rather than any genuine moral compass.
In closing, Clarke called for collective action against the racism and hatred emanating from leadership, emphasizing that change is always possible. 'It’s very clear that there was an intent to harm people, to hurt people, with this video,' she stated, reinforcing the urgent need for leadership to foster an inclusive and respectful dialogue.
