Politics

Lincoln Project Claims RNC Attendee Called Obama A ‘Monkey’ During Trump’s Speech

(Jessica Koscielniak - Pool/Getty Images)

Bradley Devlin General Assignment & Analysis Reporter
Font Size:

The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC, claimed on Twitter that an attendee of the Republican National Convention called former President Barack Obama a “monkey” while President Donald Trump delivered remarks Monday. The claim was quickly amplified by a number of celebrities, politicians and journalists.

Trump highlighted “spying” focused on his 2016 campaign, and said these efforts involved former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden. Several convention attendees can be heard in the video shouting out in agreement, and one can be heard shouting “spygate,” the unofficial name given to the scandal. The Lincoln Project, among others, claimed they heard differently.

The Lincoln Project tweeted, “When President Trump mentioned Obama, someone from the crowd shouted, ‘Monkey!’ and the president relished in it. Disgusting.”

The Lincoln Project's since deleted tweet accusing an attendee of The Republican National Convention of calling President Obama a "monkey." [Twitter/Screenshot/Public-- User: @ProjectLincoln]

The Lincoln Project’s since deleted tweet accusing an attendee of The Republican National Convention of calling President Obama a “monkey.” [Twitter/Screenshot/Public User: @ProjectLincoln]

The Lincoln Project replied to those claiming that the RNC attendee was yelling “spygate” rather than “monkey” and wrote, “Yes, because President Trump demures at the mention of the ‘spy gate’ lie.”

The Lincoln Project has since deleted their tweet, which included the video clip, but not their reply. They have not yet posted an apology or retraction. (Related: Former US Official Threatens To Blow Up ‘Spygate’)

Actor Ken Olin quote tweeted The Lincoln Project’s original tweet, saying, “After @realDonaldTrump mentions @BarackObama’s name someone yells, ‘monkey’. A few seconds later Trump laughs and makes a joke. It’s inconceivable in 2020 that a despicable comment like this would be treated lightly. The President is sickening.” Olin has now deleted his tweet and has not apologized, retracted or clarified.

Ken Onlin’s deleted tweet accusing RNC attendee of calling President Obama a “monkey” [Twitter/Screenshot/Public--User: @kenolin1]

Ken Onlin’s deleted tweet accusing RNC attendee of calling President Obama a “monkey” [Twitter/Screenshot/Public User: @kenolin1]

Khalilah M. Harris, a former member of the Obama Administration, tweeted, “in what presidential speech since the advent of television is someone audibly caught during a political convention calling the previous president a monkey?”

When confronted with the possibility that the individual had shouted “spygate” instead, Harris doubled down, saying, “He could have yelled spygate. It still sounds like monkey upon listening again.”

Contributing writer for the Atlantic Jemele Hill — who recently received backlash on Twitter for suggesting America was just as bad as Nazi Germany — weighed in with, “I listened 10 times and I swore that Trump supporter said monkey and I didn’t even know there was a debate.”

New York Times contributing opinion writer Wajahat Ali quote tweeted a since-deleted tweet accusing the attendee of calling President Obama a “monkey,” and ironically said, “Is calling a black man ‘monkey’ racist? Really? Let us discuss on cable news and both sides this.” His tweet has also been deleted.

However, some journalists did rally on behalf of “spygate.” Aaron Rupar of Vox tweeted, “I don’t think this is right. I went back and re-listened. The man yells ‘spygate!’ and then someone in the crowd says, ‘Sleepy Joe!’ That latter remark is the one Trump joked about.”

Rafi Schwartz tweeted, “It seems like the hecker [sic] yelled ‘spygate’ not ‘monkey’ so i’m relieved to report that it wasn’t coarse racism, just deranged conspiracy mongering.”

Jonathan Franks, vice president of Montel Williams Enterprises, deleted his original tweet accusing the attendee of calling President Obama a “monkey,” and said it seems more like the attendee yelled “spygate” instead.

PREMIUM ARTICLE: Subscribe To Keep Reading

BENEFITS READERS PASS PATRIOTS FOUNDERS
Daily and Breaking Newsletters
Daily Caller Shows
Ad Free Experience
Exclusive Articles
Custom Newsletters
Editor Daily Rundown
Behind The Scenes Coverage
Award Winning Documentaries
Patriot War Room
Patriot Live Chat
Exclusive Events
Gold Membership Card
Tucker Mug

What does Founders Club include?

Tucker Mug and Membership Card
Founders

Readers,

Instead of sucking up to the political and corporate powers that dominate America, The Daily Caller is fighting for you — our readers. We humbly ask you to consider joining us in this fight.

Now that millions of readers are rejecting the increasingly biased and even corrupt corporate media and joining us daily, there are powerful forces lined up to stop us: the old guard of the news media hopes to marginalize us; the big corporate ad agencies want to deprive us of revenue and put us out of business; senators threaten to have our reporters arrested for asking simple questions; the big tech platforms want to limit our ability to communicate with you; and the political party establishments feel threatened by our independence.

We don't complain -- we can't stand complainers -- but we do call it how we see it. We have a fight on our hands, and it's intense. We need your help to smash through the big tech, big media and big government blockade.

We're the insurgent outsiders for a reason: our deep-dive investigations hold the powerful to account. Our original videos undermine their narratives on a daily basis. Even our insistence on having fun infuriates them -- because we won’t bend the knee to political correctness.

One reason we stand apart is because we are not afraid to say we love America. We love her with every fiber of our being, and we think she's worth saving from today’s craziness.

Help us save her.

A second reason we stand out is the sheer number of honest responsible reporters we have helped train. We have trained so many solid reporters that they now hold prominent positions at publications across the political spectrum. Hear a rare reasonable voice at a place like CNN? There’s a good chance they were trained at Daily Caller. Same goes for the numerous Daily Caller alumni dominating the news coverage at outlets such as Fox News, Newsmax, Daily Wire and many others.

Simply put, America needs solid reporters fighting to tell the truth or we will never have honest elections or a fair system. We are working tirelessly to make that happen and we are making a difference.

Since 2010, The Daily Caller has grown immensely. We're in the halls of Congress. We're in the Oval Office. And we're in up to 20 million homes every single month. That's 20 million Americans like you who are impossible to ignore.

We can overcome the forces lined up against all of us. This is an important mission but we can’t do it unless you — the everyday Americans forgotten by the establishment — have our back.

Please consider becoming a Daily Caller Patriot today, and help us keep doing work that holds politicians, corporations and other leaders accountable. Help us thumb our noses at political correctness. Help us train a new generation of news reporters who will actually tell the truth. And help us remind Americans everywhere that there are millions of us who remain clear-eyed about our country's greatness.

In return for membership, Daily Caller Patriots will be able to read The Daily Caller without any of the ads that we have long used to support our mission. We know the ads drive you crazy. They drive us crazy too. But we need revenue to keep the fight going. If you join us, we will cut out the ads for you and put every Lincoln-headed cent we earn into amplifying our voice, training even more solid reporters, and giving you the ad-free experience and lightning fast website you deserve.

Patriots will also be eligible for Patriots Only content, newsletters, chats and live events with our reporters and editors. It's simple: welcome us into your lives, and we'll welcome you into ours.

We can save America together.

Become a Daily Caller Patriot today.

Signature

Neil Patel