Regarding the "meme" video Trump posted online depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, it cannot be stressed enough that this is what has driven Trumpism since the beginning; white people wanting societal permission to be open, gutter racists against the Obamas. That's all this whole fucking thing has been about for over 10 years. It drove racists insane that a black man was the most powerful man in the world for 8 years and they were expected to respect him instead of call him the n-word. When Trump came on the political scene with the racist birtherism conspiracy theory, they eagerly lapped it up, and then when he launched his 2016 campaign in which he essentially said “fuck civility, be openly racist again”, these bottom feeders clapped like seals. So much suffering because MAGA would rather tear the country apart so they could call black people monkeys without consequence than have a black president (just like their Confederate ancestors who would've rather torn the country apart than live among free black people). And the shut-ins on here as pale as mayonnaise will insist both sides are the same and "Copmala would've been just as bad u shitlibs!!111!!!"
Meanwhile:
Bonus:
Everything said here is largely correct, however for the sake of accuracy, and to bolster op's position, I want to mention that the root of this racist vitriol actually goes all the way back to Obama's first campaign.
There was misinformation on Obama's birthplace since '91, and rumblings of theories about it in '04 when he began running for Senate, but Birtherism really picked up the moment it was clear that he was going to be the Democratic Nominee for '08. Sarah Palin promoted Birtherist conspiracy theories while running for VP.
The Tea Party, which would go on to influence just about all modern far right orgs, was formed in the way it was to oppose Obama's policies, especially the ACA.
During the 2008 campaign, there were shirts with pictures of Curious George labeled "Obama '08"; February 18, 2009, the New York Post shared a cartoon in which Obama was depicted as a literal chimpanzee (conflating him with Travis).
It cannot be overstated that the catalyst for so much of our current political escalation was this seething hatred at the idea of a Black Man in power.
