Donald Trump sparked widespread condemnation after posting a video on Truth Social that briefly depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys, a move criticized as racist and tied to election fraud conspiracy content.
Members of the media may directly contact the following experts:
Awad Ibrahim (English and French)
Full Professor, Faculty of Education; Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence; Holder of the Air Canada Professorship on Anti-Racism
Professor Ibrahim leads strategic EDI and anti-racism initiatives, with research on Black youth, social justice, African diasporic identities, and equity in education.
“Oh, the old tropes of Blackness and apes! The French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that some people are read and listened to not out of intelligence, because they have none, but virtue of their position. The position authorizes them to speak, otherwise they are stupidity walking in two legs. This is the case here.”
Isaac Nahon-Serfaty (English and French)
Full Professor, Department of Communication, Faculty of Arts
Professor Nahon-Serfaty is an expert in communications management and public relations and can discuss strategic aspects of political messaging and media framing.
“This is part of Trump's grotesque communication. He knows the value of visual images in political communication, and he does not have any moral limit when it comes to use them against his adversaries.”