Trump posts on social media run the gamut from politics to garbage
A two-hour glimpse at Trump’s social media wandered among subjects from Qatar planes to New York garbage and a dog that appears enamored with whipped cream.
WASHINGTON – The post on President Donald Trump’s social media account that provoked a firestorm of criticism was just one of scores that appeared during a two-hour span covering everything from high-stakes political confrontations to a dog that likes whipped cream.
Most of the eclectic collection of videos were reposted from elsewhere and highlighted Trump priorities. The post that sparked outrage – and has since been taken down and blamed on a staffer – was a video that portrayed former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as apes.
But most of the messages were more mundane, such as highlighting support for requiring voters to provide identification at the polls. Others mentioned a Qatar agreement to buy 160 Boeing planes or the creation of Trump savings accounts for newborn children.
Not all posts were hard-core politics. Some of the videos reposted without comment veered from the political to the absurd.
One showed martial-arts legend Bruce Lee vanquishing a roomful of opponents. Another featured a dog responding to the sound of whipped cream being sprayed into a cup.
The video was among more than 60 posts and reposts from Trump’s Truth Social account made during a rapid flurry of activity that started at 10:36 p.m. ET on Feb. 5 and ended 12:25 a.m. ET on Feb. 6.
The White House initially dismissed criticism that the Obama video was racist and said it is from a meme depicting Trump and the Obamas as characters from the movie “The Lion King.” But the post was removed after about 12 hours and a White House official later told USA TODAY a staffer erroneously posted it.
Yet a close Trump ally, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the president had no knowledge of the post and that a staffer let Trump down. A White House source declined to say how many staffers have access to the president’s social media accounts.
A small group of trusted White House officials have access to the president’s social media accounts. A 2024 documentary, “Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback,” showed Trump dictating to Natalie Harp, executive assistant to the president, what to write in one of his posts.
Most of the clips amplified Trump’s political priorities. In one clip, Trump confronts Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, in the Oval Office during his first term. Trump says he is willing to shut down the government to protect border security and Schumer notes that they disagree.
Another post thanked Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, for proposing legislation to put Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore.
But other posts were less cheerful, criticizing one of his former lawyers or calling Democrats the “anti-Christ, anti-family, anti-Black, and anti-life party!”
A clip from a political rally quotes Trump saying: “If you hate our country, if you’re not happy here, you can leave.”
After the box-office success of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, several of the reposts showed a clip montage of video clips of the couple with the song “Endless Love” playing. In one snippet, Melania Trump praises his loyalty and says she has nothing bad to say about him. In another, the president praises the mother of his son Barron as one of the best moms he’s ever seen.
Another repost shows mounds of garbage piled up in New York City after the recent snowstorm.
Several of the posts appeared to target Trump grievances.
One reposted video showed conservative social media influencer Laura Loomer criticizing CNN host Jake Tapper. Another repost said CNN was “FORCED” to report on Trump saying he cut ties with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Some of the posts were blasts from the past.
A clip from a 1993 congressional hearing showed Trump asking for an apology and getting one from Rep. George Miller, D-California.
And a 1988 clip from Oprah Winfrey’s television show features Trump saying he would force allies such as Japan to trade more fairly with the United States – decades before he imposed tariffs worldwide.
Contributing: Joey Garrison and Francesca Chambers
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