Trump Shares Altered Image of Obamas on Graffiti-Covered Air Force One
President Donald Trump on Sunday posted a falsified image of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama waving at the top of stairs before boarding an Air Force One that had been spray-painted with graffiti. The post appeared on Trump's Truth Social platform, months after another racist post that depicted the couple as primates during Black History Month, which was deleted after bipartisan backlash.
The doctored image shows the Obamas smiling and waving against a baby blue and white presidential plane covered in graffiti. The spray-painted markings include Obama's campaign slogan "Yes We Can," the word "Obama," and "BLM" for Black Lives Matter. Additionally, Arabic graffiti reads "alhamdulillah," meaning "praise be to God" or "thank God." The use of graffiti is a coded message often used in racist messaging to evoke crime and urban decay, particularly targeting Black people.
Trump's History of Racist Rhetoric Against the Obamas
Trump has a long record of intensely personal and often racist attacks on the Obamas. He has promoted the false birther conspiracy that Obama was not born in the United States, made crude generalizations about majority-Black countries, and posted incendiary content on his social media platform. The February post showing the Obamas as primates was widely condemned by civil rights leaders and Republican senators, leading to its removal. Trump refused to apologize, and a staffer was blamed for the post.
The sensitive topic of the presidential plane arises because Trump last week took his first flight on a new Air Force One, a retrofitted Boeing 747-800 worth $400 million gifted by Qatar. The aircraft's traditional light blue hull was replaced with Trump's preferred navy-blue belly with red and gold stripes.
Context of Recent Posts and International Reactions
After delivering a speech on the National Mall for Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday night, Trump had no public events Sunday and spent the day at his golf club in Virginia. He is scheduled to leave Monday for Turkiye to attend a NATO summit. The White House and a spokeswoman for the Obamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sunday's post follows a June incident where Trump shared a doctored image of Obama's presidential library in Chicago, making it appear to have a large garbage bag on top and be surrounded by a wasteland. Trump wrote, "The Obama Library ten years from now will be a 'Makkah' for those who hate America! President DJT." He has frequently criticized the library.
Trump also posted a past picture of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with the caption "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED," implying she begged for a photo with him at the G7 summit. Meloni called the account "completely fabricated," and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to Washington. This could spark further controversy at the NATO meetings.
