Overview
- White defended President Trump during a New Yorker Radio Hour interview on Friday, May 22, arguing that Trump’s friendship with Michael Jackson and Jackson’s time around the Trump family disproves claims that the president is racist.
- Interviewer David Remnick pushed back in the exchange by naming Jackson’s long‑publicized child abuse allegations and challenging whether personal association can erase those concerns.
- Remnick also raised an earlier 2026 Truth Social post that showed Barack Obama portrayed as an ape, and White said he had not seen that post while continuing to insist Trump is not racist.
- Media coverage published on May 24–25 amplified the interview, highlighting both White’s unequivocal defense and Remnick’s rebuttal without presenting new evidence about Jackson’s allegations or Trump’s conduct.
- The episode highlights a broader debate over using celebrity friendships as political defense, and it may sharpen scrutiny of how media and allies address past accusations against public figures going forward.