Amid Backlash Over Racist 'Mr Singh' Poster, US' 'Laziest Lie' Reply

Washington: Amid backlash over the racist Transformers-style advertisement asking "Mr Singh" to self-deport, the Donald Trump administration claimed that the image on the poster wasn't representative of a random foreigner but of Harjinder Singh, the Indian-origin truck driver who has been charged with killing three travellers on a Florida highway while illegally driving a tractor-trailer last year. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed the controversial poster calling for "Mr Singh" to self-deport following a strong backlash from Indian-American groups and Democratic leaders such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, who described it as "racist propaganda".The JustificationThe controversy erupted after DHS used AI-generated imagery on X to push its campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers, featuring a brown-bearded man with a tagline: "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr Singh." "This is disgusting. Trump's government is trafficking in racist propaganda targeting the Sikh community," Newsom's press office said in a post on X.Replying to Newsom, the DHS clarified that the imagery of a brown-bearded man wearing a bandana, used in the poster, was representing Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant in the US who had been accused of taking an illegal U-turn, resulting in a crash that killed three people in Florida."Hey Gavin, YOU gave him his CDL, and then he killed three people with his tractor-trailer," the DHS wrote with a video from the 2025 crash that made the global headlines. Hey Gavin, YOU gave him his CDL and then he killed three people with his tractor-trailer. https://t.co/5qoXLLCMt7 pic.twitter.com/zqWfOZG1Hk— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 10, 2026This is not the first time the Trump administration has politicised the crash, as Singh received his commercial license and lived in California, which is run by the rival Democratic Party and opposes Trump's crackdown on immigration.Democratic Senator Adam Schiff also accused the Trump administration of "obvious bigotry" for "casting suspicion on millions of Americans based on their background and appearance." DHS called Schiff's accusation a lie and said, "This may be the laziest lie you've ever told and that's saying something."This may be the laziest lie you've ever told and that's saying something. https://t.co/JHl5nYZ9il pic.twitter.com/hU783FJsb9— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 11, 2026The ControversyThe controversy erupted after the Trump administration posted a short video clip on X showing Megatron, the main antagonist character in the Transformers franchise, negotiating the release of "aliens" -- a term used to describe foreign nationals by the US administration.Megatron is shown seeking the release of truck drivers Harjinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Bekzhan Beishekeev, Akhror Bozorov, and Jasveer Singh, who were involved in road accidents and other crimes."If you approach this nation with hostile intent, know this. We will defend ourselves. We will defend Americanism. We will defend our home," the DHS said in a post on X.Another post features Optimus Prime, the main protagonist in the Transformers franchise, with a DHS arm patch confronting the brown-bearded man with the message: "Self-deport or find out." The reference to "Mr Singh" in the advertisement was criticised by advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation and Sikh Coalition, who called it 'racist'.