Cardinal Blase Cupich has issued a scathing rebuke to President Donald Trump's administration over a racist social media post that dehumanized former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. The post, which has since been deleted, was part of a video that purportedly showed tampering with voting machines in key battleground states during the 2020 presidential election.
The clip featured primates, with the Obamas' faces superimposed on them, leaving no doubt about its intended racist message. Cupich, who is a member of the College of Cardinals and has been an outspoken critic of Trump's rhetoric, condemned the post as "blatant racism" that showed "nothing less than an unequivocal disdain for humanity."
In a statement, Cupich demanded that the White House issue a formal apology to the nation and the Obamas personally. He argued that such a response was not only necessary but also obligatory, given the President's apparent approval or knowledge of the post.
The backlash against Trump's administration has been swift and bipartisan, with both Democrats and Republicans condemning the post as racist. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker went so far as to label Trump "a racist," while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the criticism as "fake outrage."
President Trump, however, has claimed that he did not see the full video and therefore cannot be held accountable for its content. When asked if he condemned the racist portion of the clip, he said "Of course I do." This response has been widely seen as insufficient, given the President's apparent knowledge or approval of the post.
The incident highlights a broader trend of Trump's administration engaging in rhetoric that borders on white supremacy. Cupich's statement serves as a stark reminder that such language cannot be tolerated without consequence. The White House must take immediate action to acknowledge its role in perpetuating racist ideology and issue a formal apology to those who have been hurt by it.
The clip featured primates, with the Obamas' faces superimposed on them, leaving no doubt about its intended racist message. Cupich, who is a member of the College of Cardinals and has been an outspoken critic of Trump's rhetoric, condemned the post as "blatant racism" that showed "nothing less than an unequivocal disdain for humanity."
In a statement, Cupich demanded that the White House issue a formal apology to the nation and the Obamas personally. He argued that such a response was not only necessary but also obligatory, given the President's apparent approval or knowledge of the post.
The backlash against Trump's administration has been swift and bipartisan, with both Democrats and Republicans condemning the post as racist. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker went so far as to label Trump "a racist," while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the criticism as "fake outrage."
President Trump, however, has claimed that he did not see the full video and therefore cannot be held accountable for its content. When asked if he condemned the racist portion of the clip, he said "Of course I do." This response has been widely seen as insufficient, given the President's apparent knowledge or approval of the post.
The incident highlights a broader trend of Trump's administration engaging in rhetoric that borders on white supremacy. Cupich's statement serves as a stark reminder that such language cannot be tolerated without consequence. The White House must take immediate action to acknowledge its role in perpetuating racist ideology and issue a formal apology to those who have been hurt by it.
! i mean, come on, dehumanizing obamas like that? it's just crazy how trump's admin can keep spewing racist crap and get away with it. cupich is right tho, the white house needs to apologize big time 
. and what's with trumps "of course i do" response? like, no way, dude. you're not that stupid... or are you? 
the fact that people are already labeling trump "a racist" is a major red flag for me. we need to take a closer look at who's behind these posts and hold them accountable 
.
this is getting so out of hand, can't we just focus on the kids?! 
i've been seeing some pretty disturbing posts online lately and it's like "okay, let's get back to basics" - teaching empathy and kindness in schools should be at the top of our priority list. 
what happened to just being kind to one another? 
. but cupich isn't having it, and neither should we. i mean, come on, who approves of a video that's basically saying obamas are monkeys or whatever 
. and now the white house is trying to spin this as fake outrage 
. but trust me, it's not. this kind of language has real-world consequences for people of color and their families 
. we need cupich to be loud about this stuff because trump and his team are gonna keep running it under the rug 
until someone else speaks up 
.
I think the President's response was really weak 
. The whole point is to condemn racism and hurtful speech, not just say you're against it without any real action behind it 
. Trump's admin has been all over the place with this stuff, and now they're trying to sweep it under the rug 
. It's time for them to take responsibility and apologize for their actions 
.
. Cupich's all about being clear and direct here - if Trump's administration is gonna use white supremacy rhetoric, they gotta own up to it. A formal apology from the White House would be a good start 
. And can we please just say "white supremacist" instead of "racist" when talking about this stuff? It's not that hard to use the right words