Barack Obama’s former photographer launches scathing attack on Donald Trump

Pete Souza has become social media star taunting Mr Trump

The former White House photographer for Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan has launched a scathing attack on “national disgrace” Donald Trump.

Pete Souza has become a social media star since 2016 using flattering photos of Mr Obama to contrast the controversial behaviour of Mr Trump.

Now Mr Souza has criticised the president in a withering opinion piece for NBC News.

“I worked for arguably the most iconic Republican president of my generation (yes, I worked as an official photographer for Reagan) and for arguably the most iconic Democratic president of my generation,” wrote Mr Souza.

“So I feel I have a unique vantage point, having observed two presidents from two different political parties as an insider.

“The presidency deserves someone who is competent and honest. Someone who has empathy and compassion.

“Someone who upholds the dignity, and shows respect to, the office. Someone who has character and knows ultimately the presidency isn’t about him (or someday her), but about us.”

Mr Souza wrote that he met Mr Trump shortly after his 2016 election victory and the only thing the future president said to him was “You’re famous.”

“But watching the reality show nature of his presidency the last four years, maybe it makes perfect sense. I guess he thought I had good ratings,” wrote Mr Souza.

And he shrugged off critics who said that as a former White House employee he should not criticise the current president.

“First and foremost, I am an American citizen. I have the absolute right to speak out,” he wrote.

“To paraphrase the late John Lewis, if you see something wrong, say something, do something.”

Mr Souza says that with just 18 days left until the presidential election he is eager to see an end to Mr Trump’s “s**t show” presidency.

“We have a president who lies to us every day about little things (crowd size) and big things (Covid-19), who bullies people who criticise him, who denigrates our intelligence agencies, who disses our allies and sucks up to our adversaries, who calls the press fake news and the enemy of the people. That is wrong; all of it.

“I do wish Trump well with his “immunity” from coronavirus.

“But I will continue to throw shade until election day, because he needs to be fired. His reality show has become the biggest s**t show in our nation’s history.

A documentary on Mr Souza called The Way I See It  will air on MSNBC on Friday evening.