A parody video has emerged of US President Donald Trump behind his desk in Trump Tower, where he fires an actor impersonating Barack Obama for not producing “results”.
Details of the video, resonant of Mr Trump in his old reality show The Apprentice, have emerged in his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen’s book, in which Mr Cohen alleges Mr Trump made disparaging remarks about black world leaders, including former South African president Nelson Mandela.
In Disloyal: A Memoir, due to be published next week, Mr Cohen alleges Mr Trump held such disdain for Mr Obama during his time in office that he created a “Faux-Bama” that allowed him to “ritualistically belittle the first black president and then fire him”, reports CNN.
The book allegedly contains a photo taken from the shoot of the video between Mr Trump and Faux-Bama, with the video reportedly created to air during the 2016 Republican National Convention before it was axed for unknown reasons.
In the video, a faux Mr Obama is seen arriving at Trump Tower on New York City’s Fifth Avenue before sitting down in front of Mr Trump’s desk for a supposed “review”.
Donald Trump and a man playing Barack Obama in a shoot for a parody-style video allegedly made in 2016. Source: CNN/Michael Cohen
“This is your current position. It looks like you’ve never really managed people before, you’ve never run a business. Who hired you?” a stern Mr Trump demands to a silent black man in silhouette.
“You oversee budgets, and you were never responsible for making a payroll or signing pay checks. You never really balanced anything, certainly not your own budget," he adds.
Footage of Mr Obama intercepts the video in which Mr Trump offers golf advice before slamming Faux-Bama for his “expensive” health reforms, failing to tackle unemployment and for accumulating too much national debt.
“The fact is, the American people want results. President Obama, you’re fired,” he says, before Faux-Bama is seen leaving the building.
Mr Cohen worked closely with Mr Trump for years before turning against him, most publicly in testimony to Congress last year prior to Mr Trump's impeachment.
The former lawyer is serving time for tax evasion, false statements and campaign finance violations, the last related to payments to silence women who alleged affairs with Mr Trump before the 2016 presidential election.
'Mandela was no leader'
In the book Mr Cohen also alleges that Mr Trump described Mr Mandela as a poor leader, according to the Washington Post, which reportedly obtained a copy of the book.
According to the newspaper, Mr Cohen wrote that following Mr Mandela's death in 2013, Mr Trump said: "Mandela f***ed the whole country up. Now it's a s***hole. F*** Mandela. He was no leader."
Mr Cohen also alleged that Mr Trump said: "Tell me one country run by a black person that isn't a s***hole. They are all complete f***ing toilets."
Mr Trump has called Cohen "a rat" and a liar, and Mr Cohen has said he faced repeated death threats from Trump supporters.
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, in March 2019. Source: AP
Mr Trump, a Republican, is seeking re-election and will face Democrat Joe Biden at the polls on 3 November. At the Republican convention in August, where Mr Trump was formally nominated to appear on the ballot, speakers defended Mr Trump against past accusations of racism.
Mr Cohen alleged that Mr Trump was dismissive of minorities, and that Mr Trump said during his 2016 presidential campaign that he would not win the Hispanic vote, the Washington Post reported. According to Mr Cohen, Mr Trump said: "Like the blacks, they're too stupid to vote for Trump."
Mr Obama has offered no comment on the video.
With Reuters.
