Renowned United States politician, Donald Trump, is once again in the spotlight as a video involving him has taken the internet by storm. Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, is well-remembered for his consequential policies and actions. He emerged victorious in the 2016 presidential election representing the Republican party, and as president, imposed a controversial travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries. His administration also redirected military funding towards the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and enforced a contentious policy of family separations for detained migrants.
Presently, Trump is drawing significant attention due to a leaked video that has gone viral. Various online users have been searching for this video, leading to speculation and the circulation of misleading content by some sources spreading fake news. This has put Trump at the centre of yet another controversy.
The viral video in question is not explicit as some users had initially assumed. Instead, the video that has sparked the current media frenzy is one released about Trump’s plea bargain. The video was leaked to a national media outlet by Jonathan Miller. This particular video has been widely shared across various social media platforms, including Twitter.
The viral video scandal involves a tape from October 2023 wherein Trump appears visibly upset inside a courtroom. This footage quickly spread across social media platforms. The case in question is a significant civil fraud trial against Trump’s real estate empire, initiated by a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James. Despite the charges levelled against him, Trump has consistently maintained his innocence. He was seen criticising James in front of news cameras outside the courtroom, after witnessing a testimony against him by an appraiser and an employee. The video’s widespread circulation was further fuelled by a Twitter user who shared the footage with the comment, “He didn’t look too happy to be in court today.”
Trump’s association with viral videos is not a new phenomenon. His actions have frequently resulted in media buzz, with several videos featuring him becoming popular on social media. For instance, in 2021, a video wherein Trump addressed his supporters who had stormed the U.S. Capitol went viral. In the video, Trump urged his supporters to return home while continuing to make baseless allegations about the election being stolen. He also expressed his affection for his supporters, calling them “very special.” Following the video’s release, several social media platforms took measures to remove the content. Facebook was the first to take down the video, followed by Twitter and YouTube. Twitter also restricted engagement with the video, preventing retweets, likes, and comments.
