Representative Jasmine Crockett says a recent controversial social media post by President Donald Trump should not come as a surprise — nor should it derail attention from more serious legal matters involving transparency and accountability.
The president earlier this week shared a video on his Truth Social account that included a brief clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama superimposed on the bodies of apes — a racist trope that has drawn swift bipartisan criticism.
The video, which also repeated baseless election conspiracy claims, was taken down after intense backlash from lawmakers of both parties who called the imagery offensive and inappropriate. The White House later attributed the post to a staffer and removed it, even as Trump declined to apologize.
Crockett, in a video shared on social media of an interview with MSNBC, spoke about the widely condemned post not as an isolated incident but as part of a broader pattern of divisive tactics aimed at shifting public focus away from substantive issues.
“For everyone that wanted to say that Black people were overreacting or that we were being dramatic, I want to be clear that it’s not just his words,” Crockett said. “He is the king of distractions and division, and right now, he has everyone talking about the fact that he posted something that was racist.”
But, she added, the timing was notable — coming just as lawmakers prepare to begin in-person review of unredacted Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein, as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed last year. Under the law, members of Congress are to be given access to unredacted documents at DOJ offices for oversight and review, a process set to begin next week.
“That’s where our attention needs to be,” Crockett said. “Not on this distraction, not on turning a moment of racism into a circus — but on the fact that more and more is coming out, and we are being told that we will be able to inspect those files.”
Context: Racist Imagery and Historical Pattern
The imagery in the now-deleted post drew immediate bipartisan condemnation. Republican Senator Tim Scott called the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” while Democrats labeled it offensive and demanded accountability.
The depiction of Black public figures as animals has long been recognized as a harmful racist trope, historically used to dehumanize people of African descent — a context that heightened the controversy given the timing during Black History Month.
Epstein Files and Congressional Oversight
The Trump administration last week indicated that members of Congress will begin reviewing unredacted Epstein files at the Department of Justice, allowing lawmakers to examine the material on DOJ computers under controlled conditions. The review will encompass approximately 3 million pages of documents previously released in redacted form, though DOJ has acknowledged possession of more than 6 million related records.
Crockett and other lawmakers have repeatedly called for transparency and criticized DOJ redaction practices as overly broad and potentially in violation of the statute’s requirements. They argue that full access is essential for meaningful oversight into decisions made in Epstein-related investigations.
Diverting Public Attention?
In her remarks, Crockett tied the president’s controversial post to a broader political strategy that seeks to redirect public discourse away from substantive accountability issues. “He said, ‘stop talking about the Epstein files,’” she noted, “as more and more is coming out.”
The suggestion that political leaders may use inflammatory or divisive incidents to divert attention from politically challenging subjects echoes commentary from analysts that media cycles often shift away from complex legal matters in favor of sensationalized controversy — potentially blunting public focus on oversight.
While political disagreement is foundational in democratic discourse, legal analysts emphasize that sustained attention to statutes like the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the mechanisms for executive accountability through congressional oversight remain crucial to evaluating the balance of power and transparency in government.
As lawmakers prepare to review the unredacted DOJ materials next week, the episode underscores ongoing tensions between political rhetoric, media attention, and the demands of legal and legislative accountability.
