Overview
- Bobbie Coleman, chair of the Hardin County Republican Party, shared the since-deleted video on the local party’s Facebook page on Saturday.
- The video depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, showed other Democrats as animals, and cast President Donald Trump as a lion to music from The Lion King.
- Coleman apologized after deleting the post, denied racist intent, and said she meant to celebrate what she called Trump policy victories including tax cuts, increased border security, and a Gaza ceasefire–hostage deal.
- State Chairman Robert J. Benvenuti III condemned the content as “vile and reprehensible,” announced an investigation, and pledged the harshest action available, while spokesperson Adam Hope said specific penalties have not been determined.
- The controversy resonates in Daniel Cameron’s home county and invokes a racist ape trope with deep historical roots in the dehumanization of Black people.