One Day In The Life Of Our Country

On February 6, I woke to discover Trump had posted a video, depicting the Obamas as apes.

Still half asleep, I thought...

You gotta be kidding me--how low will this fucker go?

A few minutes later the Associated Press offered their assessment, reporting that Trump had depicted the Obamas as "primates."

Hmm? Not sure why they called it primates as opposed to apes. As I'm pretty sure most of the country doesn’t know what a primate is. 

Was the A.P. shielding readers from the rampant racism of the man voters thought was a good idea to elect as their president?

Now I’m wide awake. And searching for updates.

The New York Times ran a story by Erica Green, which began...

"President Trump posted a blatant racist video clip, portraying former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama as apes..."

Relieved that the Times didn't sugar cost Trump's racism.

Also relieved they added "blatantly racist" to the lede. 

Also, wondered if Erica Green had to fight like hell to get it by her editors.

The White House weighed in, pugnaciously proclaiming there's nothing racist or wrong about what Trump had posted. Or as spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said...

"This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that really matters to the American public."

Which, translated from Trump speak, means...

Fuck off! We do what we want whenever we want, and we don't care what you snowflakes think. And if you keep complaining, we'll send our goons to your cities--and see how you like that!

Hold it for Senator Tim Scott, the highest-ranking Black elected official in the Republican Party. And the man the media turns to at moments like this to see if Trump’s blatant racism has finally forced even Tim Scott to break from him. 

In this case, not quite…

"Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of the White House, “ Scott tweeted. “The President should remove it."

Strong stuff for Scott. Other than the part about “praying it was fake.”  We already know it’s not fake, because Leavitt acknowledged Trump had posted it. So why waste your prayers?  Unless, it’s to give Trump one more chance.

Still no word from Trump. Which is unusual, cause old boy always has something to say. But...

He did take down the post! Without condemning it—like he's gonna pretend it never existed.

The media hailed this as progress, a rare retreat from his typical defiance, as expressed in Leavitt's orginial response.

If this is progress, it means the bar’s so low, it's not even a bar. More like a trench.

Pastor Burns...

More breaking news...

Mark Burns weighed in. A Black pastor from South Carolina, Burns may be more devoted to Trump than Scott. If such a thing is possible.

Burns said he talked to Trump and that Trump told him "this post was made by a staffer and not by him."

And...

"My recommendation to the President was direct and firm...That staffer should be fired immediately and the president should publicly condemn this action.”

And one more thing--Trump assured him that he understood "the painful racist history in America of depicting African Americans as apes, a tactic long used by white supremacists to demean Black intelligence and humanity."

Quick! Tell Karoline Leavitt so she can issue a correction, saying she’s outraged, too. 

Later that night, Trump finally commented, telling reporters...

He didn't post the post--an aide with access to his social media did.

He didn't see the Obamas-as-apes-part of the post.

And he felt no need to apologize since he'd done nothing wrong.

Asked if he condemned the racist part of the video, Trump replied: "Of course, I do."

Which, of course, is not the same as actually condemning it.

A distinction that was not lost on many of his virulent racist supporters, who went on the internet to hail him for not backing down.

What’s next? Will Trump team up with Senator Scott and Pastor Burns to find the unnamed aide who posted the video, so he or she or they can be fired? Immediately! 

Ha, ha, ha...

Nothing like a little gallows humor to close out an especially ugly day in the life of a country whose voters thought it was a good idea to elect a blatant racist as their president.