Camila Francisco
Former President Donald Trump stirred controversy once again with a social media post on Friday, sharing a video featuring an image of President Joe Biden appearing bound and restrained in the back of a pickup truck.
The brief 20-second clip, purportedly captured on Thursday in Long Island, New York, showcases a truck adorned with “Trump 2024” branding and prominently displays a large picture portraying Biden tied up and lying on his side.
Trump had been in Long Island the previous day to pay respects at the wake of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.
In response to inquiries regarding the image depicted in the video, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the image as merely being displayed on a passing pickup truck, attributing the furor to what he characterized as “Democrats and crazed lunatics” advocating violence against Trump and his family. Cheung cited past remarks made by Biden in 2018, where Biden had referenced confronting Trump physically over derogatory comments about women.
Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign spokesman Michael Tyler condemned Trump’s dissemination of the video.
When questioned about the video, the White House redirected inquiries to the campaign.
This instance isn’t the first time Trump has employed violent imagery and rhetoric, both during his 2024 presidential campaign and earlier.
In a speech on March 16, he ominously warned of a “bloodbath” if he were not re-elected, discussing the economy. He also issued dire warnings about “potential death and destruction” in response to potential legal actions against him.
Trump’s provocative behavior extended to his Truth Social platform, where he previously shared a post featuring an image of him holding a baseball bat near Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s head, though the post was later removed.
More recently, Trump took aim at Judge Juan Merchan, overseeing a hush-money case against him, and the judge’s daughter, following a partial gag order issued against him.
Facing four criminal indictments related to allegations including election interference, mishandling classified documents, and falsifying business records tied to hush money payments, Trump maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges.
