Education Department Shares Then Removes Clip Equating Trump to Hitler’s “Tiger” Remark

Topline

The Department of Education posted a clip on X that appeared to equate President Donald Trump with a tiger, but soon took it down after users pointed out that the tiger mentioned in the clip was Adolf Hitler, marking the latest controversy involving social media posts by the president and his administration.

Key Facts

The Department of Education’s official X account on Wednesday shared a clip that included a scene from “Darkest Hour,” the 2017 biopic about former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The video shows Churchill, played by Gary Oldman, shouting: “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth,” before it cuts to a montage of Trump clips.

The Department of Education captioned the post “No one does it like us,” followed by a tiger emoji.

In the movie, the “tiger” being referenced by Churchill is Adolf Hitler, as he expresses disgust at his government officials’ suggestion that the U.K. should negotiate with the Nazi leader.

What Happened After The Clip Was Posted?

Within minutes of the post going live, users on X highlighted the apparent gaffe, questioning whether the agency realized it was likening the president to Hitler. Matt Rein, a Democratic National Committee official, wrote: “the ‘tiger’ being referenced here is Hitler, btw.” Headquarters, a former Kamala Harris campaign X account, also rebuked the post, noting: “They fired the employees who help fund teachers and students but kept the taxpayer‑funded fancam editor.” The post later received a community note on X, which added a longer excerpt from the film clarifying that the “tiger” referenced was Hitler. The original post was removed shortly thereafter.

Key Background

The removal follows a series of controversies tied to the Trump administration’s use of social media. In recent months, the president has faced criticism for posting AI‑generated imagery, including a racist video depicting former Presidents Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes on Truth Social earlier this year. That clip was eventually deleted without an apology. In April, a post portraying Trump as Jesus Christ amid a public feud with Pope Leo XIV drew immediate backlash from various groups, including some Republicans, leading to its deletion. Days later, another AI image showed Trump embraced by Jesus before an American flag. Since then, Trump has intermittently posted dozens of AI‑generated memes that mock opponents and promote his agenda.

Source link