Trump Once Hired an Obama Lookalike Just to 'Fire’ Him in a Video Stunt: "A Kind of Fantasy..."

Once, in a bizarre revelation from Michael Cohen’s explosive memoir Disloyal, former President Donald Trump’s alleged obsession with his predecessor, Barack Obama, went to extreme lengths – the GOP leader hired an actor to impersonate Obama just so he could belittle and ‘fire’ him in an Apprentice-style video. This incident, which Cohen claimed was a personal fantasy for Trump, is just one of many startling anecdotes about the former president’s fixation on Obama, his policies, and his identity as the first Black president of the United States. 

According to Cohen, Trump orchestrated a fake 'firing' of Obama, played by an actor, as a way to symbolically humiliate his predecessor. The New York Times reported that Trump hired 'a Faux-Bama' to record himself just to "ritualistically belittle[d] the first Black president and then fired him, a kind of fantasy fulfillment that it was hard to imagine any adult would spend serious money living out — until he did the functional equivalent in the real world.”

The scene, reportedly shot in Trump’s office, with the lookalike dressed in a suit and an American flag pin, was meant to mimic Trump and his reality TV persona as the host of The Apprentice–where he would famously dismiss contestants with his signature catchphrase, “You’re fired,” as noted by Salon.

As per People, the unsettling performance was meant to be a parody, intended to air during the 2016 Republican National Convention. While it never made it to the convention stage, the footage found its way online, where it has since resurfaced in light of Cohen’s revelations.

Trump’s animosity toward Obama and other black leaders was no secret during his rise to political prominence. Cohen wrote in his book, “As a rule, Trump expressed low opinions of all Black folks, from music to culture and politics…was no leader. Mandela f---ed the whole country up." Trump also said other negative things about the South African president, who led the country out of apartheid, if Cohen's word is true: "Now it’s a s---hole. F--- Mandela. He was no leader.”

The Nelson Mandela Foundation responded to Trump’s reported remarks and said, "We do not believe that leaders who conduct themselves in the way Mr. Trump does are in a position to offer authoritative commentary on the life and work of Madiba. We would recommend these words to Mr. Trump for consideration."

Cohen’s book also suggested that this fixation Trump had went far beyond public smears. Reportedly, in private, Trump allegedly referred to Obama as a ‘Manchurian candidate,’ suggesting that his Ivy League education was solely due to affirmative action rather than merit. 

As astonishing as these revelations may be, they were just part of a larger narrative Cohen built about Trump in his book. According to Cohen’s book, Trump once claimed, “I will never get the Hispanic vote. Like the blacks, they’re too stupid to vote for Trump.” Trump and his team denied Cohen’s claims and remarked,  “Michael Cohen is a disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer, who lied to Congress. He has lost all credibility, and it’s unsurprising to see his latest attempt to profit off of lies.”