Parents of Toddlers in Doctored ‘Racist Baby’ Video Shared by Trump ‘Investigating All Legal Options’
The parents of the two toddlers in a doctored video called “Racist Baby” on social media that President Trump shared on Thursday are “investigating all legal options regarding the unauthorized use and manipulation” of the footage, the parents’ attorneys said on Friday.
“We are appalled at the use of children to draw attention to President Trump and the so-called ‘fake media,'” Ven Johnson, a Detroit-based attorney representing the parents, said. “We are equally distraught by the President’s endorsement of the blatant attempt at racism and mockery of American journalism. Our clients are speaking out against this offensive behavior and investigating all legal options regarding the unauthorized use and manipulation of this video.”
A press release from Ven Johnson Law, PLC, and Neumann Law Group also added that the parents and their partners — Michael Cisneros, Alex Hanson and Erica and Daniel McKenna — were “outraged” after seeing the manipulated video Trump shared, leading them to retain legal representation.
*Also Read:* Facebook, Twitter Delete Trump's 'Racist Baby' Video Over Copyright Claim
The video shared by Trump — which was based on footage that originally aired on CNN of a Black child and a white child hugging one another — was doctored to show the white toddler chasing a “terrified” Black child, with a fake CNN chyron saying that white child was a “racist baby,” who was a likely Trump voter.
Earlier on Friday, both Facebook and Twitter took down the altered video after receiving a copyright complaint from Jukin Media, a company that represents one of the parents who owns the rights to the original video.
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
Facebook Takes Down Trump's Post Sharing Doctored Video of Two Toddlers
CNN Urges Trump to 'Be Better' After He Posts Phony Video of Network Story About Two Toddlers
Facebook, Twitter Delete Trump's 'Racist Baby' Video Over Copyright Claim
