An old video of former first lady Michelle Obama praising now-convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein resurfaced on Twitter on late Monday. The name of the former influential film producer was trending on the micro-blogging site after Obama delivered a speech against President Donald Trump on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
Twitter users circulated the 2013 video of Obama calling Weinstein a "wonderful human being" at a DNC Convention. Some users drew comparisons between her comments on Weinstein and the Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden – whom, on Monday, she called a "profoundly decent man." The November 2013 video was shared by a Twitter user who goes by the name Wojciech Pawelczyk. According to his bio, he identified himself as "the most popular Trump supporter in Poland."
Obama Praises Weinstein in Old Video
In the video, Obama is heard praising Weinstein as the audience – including Whoopi Goldberg and Blake Lively – applauded the former film producer.
"I want to start by thanking Harvey Weinstein for organizing this amazing day," Obama said at the time. "This is possible because of Harvey, he is a wonderful human being, a good friend and just a powerhouse and the fact that he and his team took the time to make this happen for all of you should say something – not about me or about this place – but about you. Alright? Everybody, we are here, because of you." Following this, Twitter users retweeted the video calling out Obama for her "glowing endorsement" of Weinstein.
However, some Twitter users called out Trump supporters for his alleged friendship with the late convicted-pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested by the FBI in July for charges related to child sex trafficking.
Accusations of sexual assault and molestation against 68-year-old Weinstein cropped up first in 2017. Dozens of women came forward publicly accusing Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment for decades. This February, a jury in New York found him guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Following the verdict, Trump told the media that Obama and Hillary Clinton "loved" Weinstein.
"I was never a fan of Harvey Weinstein," Trump said during his tour to India. "I was just not a fan of his. I knew him a little bit. The people that liked him were the Democrats. Michelle Obama loved him. Hillary Clinton loved him."
