Donald Trump on Sunday shared a doctored image on his social media platform Truth Social that has once again touched off a debate over racist messaging. The altered picture shows Barack Obama and Michelle Obama waving beside an Air Force One that is completely covered in graffiti. The post drew fresh attention partly because similar content circulated earlier this year had already been widely condemned. When asked for comment on the matter, the White House did not immediately respond.
In the manipulated image, the pale blue and white presidential aircraft is shown daubed with spray-painted words and symbols. The graffiti includes the phrases 'Yes We Can', 'Obama' and 'BLM', a reference to Black Lives Matter. The picture also carries Arabic text reading 'alhamdulillah', which means praise be to God or thank God. This kind of graffiti theme has been used before to convey racist messaging.
A sensitive Air Force One subject
The topic of Air Force One is a particularly sensitive one right now, coming just after Trump travelled on a new presidential aircraft. Last week he took his first flight on a retrofitted Boeing 747-800. The jet has been valued at USD 400 million and was gifted by Qatar. Its appearance has also changed. Where the hull was once light blue, the underside has now been given a navy finish with red and gold stripes running along it.
After delivering an Independence Day speech on the National Mall in Washington on Saturday night, Trump had no public events scheduled for Sunday. He spent the day at a golf club in Virginia. He was due to depart on Monday for Turkey, where he is set to take part in a summit with NATO allies. The posts surfaced just as world leaders were preparing for the meetings there.
A long history of attacks on the Obamas
Trump has a long record of launching sharp and personal attacks on the Obama family. That history includes pushing the false claim that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. It also includes crude remarks about countries with majority-Black populations. Trump has previously posted material on Truth Social that has provoked both anger and criticism.
Sunday's image came only months after another post that depicted the Obamas as primates in a jungle. That post surfaced in February, during the first week of Black History Month. It was taken down following strong criticism from civil rights leaders and Republican senators. Trump did not apologise, and a staffer was later blamed for it.
Jabs at the Obama library too
Sunday's post followed one from last month targeting Barack Obama's presidential library under construction in Chicago. Trump shared a doctored image that made the building look as though it was topped with a large bag of rubbish. The picture also tried to suggest that the surrounding area was barren land. At the time he wrote, 'The Obama Library ten years from now will be a Mecca for those who hate America! President DJT.'
Trump has also criticised the Obama library in his public remarks. He posted the altered library image on the social media platform twice. The repeated sharing kept the subject in front of his supporters. A spokeswoman for the Obamas also did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
A fresh row over the Meloni image
The Air Force One post was one of several uploads Trump made on Truth Social on Sunday. One of them featured an older photo appearing to show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smiling at Trump. That image carried the words 'RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED'. With meetings due in Turkey this week, the post risked stirring up further controversy.
The Meloni post came after Trump claimed that at the recent Group of Seven summit Meloni had repeatedly asked to be photographed with him. Trump even suggested that Meloni had begged for the picture. Those comments led Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to cancel a planned trip to Washington. Meloni rejected the claim as false, saying that Italy and I never beg.
