Overview
- At a White House briefing on Black History Month plans, CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe asked for examples of President Trump being falsely called racist, prompting Karoline Leavitt’s reply, “You’re kidding, right?”
- Leavitt pledged to pull a “plethora of examples,” saying her team would gather instances where Democrats and media figures labeled the president a racist.
- She defended the deleted post as an internet meme and dismissed criticism as “fake outrage.”
- Accusations escalated after Trump’s accounts shared a video portraying Barack and Michelle Obama as apes for about 12 hours before removal, which the White House said was mistakenly posted by a staffer.
- The exchange came a day after Trump’s Truth Social tribute to Rev. Jesse Jackson, where he said he is “falsely and consistently” called racist and listed actions he says benefited Black Americans.