By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
The depiction of former
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as primates is among the
ugliest racial motifs in modern United States politics by a sitting President.
This has back-peddled the country back to an era it claims to have outgrown.
When such demeaning imagery is associated with a former President and first
lady, the damage radiates far beyond partisan skirmishes.
Depicting the Obamas as
apes on “Truth Social” was ill-conceived and deeply offensive. Even though the
post was later deleted, the damage had already been done, reinforcing
perceptions of racial hostility by President Donald Trump. The episode has
further tarnished the President’s standing and inflicted reputational harm on
the Republican Party, which continues to struggle to distance itself from
rhetoric that alienates large sections of the American population.
In June 2015, Donald
Trump's presidential campaign was launched amidst a toxic storm of xenophobia
and racism, setting the tone for a divisive political climate that would define
his presidency. At Trump Tower, he infamously declared that Mexican immigrants
were "not sending their best", instead bringing "drugs, crime,
and rapists".
This rhetoric dehumanised
Latin American immigrants and laid the base for a campaign that repeatedly
depicted them as threats to the healthy safety and security of the US.
Before Trump assumed the
presidency, he became the most prominent public figure to amplify the so-called
birther conspiracy. He falsely claimed that Obama, the first Black president of
the US, was not born in the country and therefore illegitimate. He persistently
demanded that Obama produce his birth certificate, which was publicly released,
showing that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii.
Trump’s apparent jealousy
of the former president is rooted in a stark contrast of records and
reputations. Obama left office with zero scandals. No indictments! Today, he
remains a respected global figure, with a standing reinforced by the Nobel
Peace Prize, which he won barely less than a year as president. This is the
coveted prize Trump desperately wanted to win last year, but it passed him by.
By resorting to racially charged depictions during Black History Month, against
the backdrop of aggressive immigration enforcement that disproportionately
affects Black and brown communities, Trump has damaged his reputation and
demonstrated zero positive view on race relations in the US.
During an Oval Office
meeting on immigration in 2018, Trump was reported to have said that the United
States should not accept immigrants from what he described as “shithole
countries”, referring to Haiti, El Salvador and several African nations. He
suggested that his preference is for immigrants from countries such as Norway.
Although he later denied this, the damage was already done.
Trump’s anti-immigrant
rhetoric did not abate during his presidency. During the 2024 campaigns, he
made inflammatory claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio,
suggesting they were “eating the pets” of residents. Officials and community
leaders in Ohio swiftly debunked these allegations. In the same vein, Trump
publicly disparaged Somali immigrants, referring to them as “garbage”,
dismissing their contributions and advocating their removal from the US back to
Somalia.
Trump, along with the
Christian nationalists who echo or excuse his racial slurs, among them
televangelist Paula White Cain, Pastor Lance Wallnau, Pastor Franklin Graham of
Samaritan’s Purse, and John Hagee of Cornerstone Church, should be ashamed for
tolerating or amplifying such a record on race relations. Likening Michelle
Obama and Barack Obama to apes is not merely offensive; it is a slur with a
poisonous history that has long been used to dehumanise Black people and deny
their God-given right, dignity, and decency.
If President Trump casts
himself as a Christian apologist, he must confront the Gospel teachings of
Jesus, who preached love of neighbour, the equal worth of all people, and
justice that uplifts the marginalised. Christ condemned the use of religion to
exclude or humiliate and identified himself with “the least of these”. A faith
that invokes Christ while disparaging people based on skin colour is not merely
inconsistent but a betrayal of his core message of love, equality, and justice.
The US is founded on
ideals of equality, fairness and justice, embedded in its Constitution and
civil rights framework. Although the nation has long struggled with racism and
discrimination, it has sought to redefine itself through sustained civil rights
movements. When a leader of Trump’s stature repeatedly uses racially charged or
demeaning language, the political and social consequences are therefore severe.
If such rhetoric goes
unchecked, it risks normalising prejudice and deepening division rather than
promoting unity. It fuels hostility towards vulnerable communities, erodes
minority trust in democratic fairness, and weakens America’s moral standing
globally, further straining relations with allies who see such conduct as
incompatible with democratic values.
One may reasonably ask
whether a healthy democracy is sustained by insults, xenophobia and racial
slurs, or by robust debate, principled dissent, and respect for human dignity.
History shows that democracies thrive not when leaders divide and demean, but
when they elevate public discourse and affirm the equal worth of all citizens,
regardless of origin, colour, social class or political affiliations.
It is also worth noting
the contradiction in Trump’s own personal circumstances. His family and
political circle reflect international and cross-cultural ties, from his
foreign-born spouses to a vice-president married to a woman of Indian ancestry.
This underscores the irony of invoking narrow ideas of race and nationality
while benefiting from the diversity that enriches American society.
Ultimately, democratic
leadership is defined not by provocation or fear, but by respect, dignity, and
inclusion. True leadership unites, protects all citizens, and advances equality
and justice. America’s strength lies in its diversity, and its leaders are
obliged to recognise and honour that reality.
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