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.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with guests during an event announcing the expansion of a foster care initiative in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC.
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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?
Several users on X quickly pointed out the Education Department’s gaffe, asking whether it was aware that it was comparing the president to Hitler. Matt Rein, a Democratic National Committee official, wrote: “the ‘tiger’ being referenced here is Hitler btw.” Headquarters, a X account previously associated with Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, also criticized the post, noting: “They fired the employees who help fund teachers and students but kept the taxpayer-funded fancam editor.” The post then received a community note on X, with a longer clip from the film, and pointed out that the “tiger” mentioned in the video was Hitler. The post was taken down a short while later.