President Donald Trump is back again sharing a fake image of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama waving from the steps of an Air Force One jet covered in graffiti.
This latest social media move comes just months after the president faced massive backlash for a different post that depicted the couple as monkeys.
The new image features the Obamas smiling and waving, but the backdrop is far from standard. The plane is spray-painted with phrases like “Yes We Can,” “Obama,” and “BLM.”
While responding to Trump’s latest stunt, Don Lemon didn’t hold back, calling out Trump for his clear fixation on his predecessor. “Donald Trump is obsessed and you can see it after the stuff he put out about Barack Obama with the graffiti on the side of Air Force one. It’s embarrassing. He is so jealous of Barack Obama he cannot stand it he will never have the class, the grace, the good looks, the education, the beautiful family the beautiful wife. One wife, not three or four baby mamas.”
Critics are pointing out that the use of graffiti in this context is a loaded choice, often used as a coded message to evoke imagery of crime and urban decay in racist narratives.
Trump’s history with the Obamas has been nothing short of intense. From fueling the “birther” conspiracy to making inflammatory comments about majority-Black nations, his social media presence has been a constant source of controversy.
Back in February, during the first week of Black History Month, Trump sparked outrage with that primate post. While it was pulled down following pressure from civil rights leaders and GOP senators, Trump never apologized, eventually pinning the blame on a staffer.
The choice of the plane as a target is particularly pointed, especially since Trump just took his maiden voyage last week on a new, retrofitted Boeing 747-800—a $400 million gift from Qatar. He ditched the iconic light blue for his own signature look: a navy-blue belly with bold red and gold stripes.
After celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a speech on the National Mall, Trump kept a low profile on Sunday at his Virginia golf club. He’s expected to head to Turkey on Monday for a NATO summit.
The White House has yet to comment, and there’s been silence from the Obamas’ camp as well. Stay tuned!