1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound disappointment in your silence regarding President Trump's recent posting of a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys. This incident demands your immediate and unequivocal condemnation. The video invoked a centuries-old racist trope used to dehumanize Black Americans. Even after bipartisan criticism, including from Sen. Tim Scott, who called it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House," the administration's response was inadequate. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed legitimate concerns as "fake outrage" before an unsigned statement claimed an unidentified staffer was responsible. This lack of accountability is unacceptable. Republican senators Roger Wicker and Pete Ricketts both called for the post's removal and an apology. Sen. Ricketts stated that "even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this" and urged the White House to "do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize." Yet no apology has been issued, and the administration continues to deflect responsibility. This is not an isolated incident. In September, Trump posted a vulgar AI-generated deepfake video featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero. This pattern of racist, inflammatory content targeting elected officials and former presidents corrodes our democratic norms and emboldens hatred in our communities. Your constituents deserve representation that stands firmly against racism regardless of party affiliation. I am asking you to publicly condemn this post, demand a formal apology from the White House, and commit to holding this administration accountable when it engages in behavior that degrades the office of the presidency and harms the Americans you represent. Silence in the face of such blatant racism is complicity.