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Michelle Obama said she and Barack Obama loved Dr Seuss at WH party in old video, Internet says 'she's canceled'

The video emerged shortly after it was announced that six Dr Seuss books were being pulled from publication after claims of 'racist and hurtful' imagery 

Michelle Obama is facing calls to be "canceled" after a video resurfaced of the former first lady saying she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, "loved" Dr Seuss as they celebrated the author's legacy at the White House. The video emerged shortly after it was announced that six Seuss books were being pulled from publication after claims of "racist and hurtful" imagery.

Recorded in January 2015, the clip showed the former first lady in the White House hosting a Dr Seuss party. Notable characters from his novels, including Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2, were 'at the event', as a group of children sat on the ground in front of Michelle wearing Seuss memorabilia.

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The then-first lady was sitting in a red chair as she told children she was "excited" to read them a copy of one of Dr Seuss' books. "You know who saw this book this morning before he got on the helicopter? The president," she said. "We love Dr Seuss in this house."

Keen-eyed observers on social media circulated the footage as they lambasted Michelle Obama. "Michelle Obama lied to these children?" one Twitter user wrote. "I regret to inform you that @MichelleObama is canceled," conservative pundit Benny Johnson added. "Will she have to apologize for encouraging Dr. Seuss?" another wrote. "I would not regret that. she can join Hillary in the has been dept," a fourth chimed in. Meanwhile, California Governor candidate Errol Webber asked, "Why wasn’t Dr. Seuss racist when Michelle Obama invited him to the White House?"

That said, Michelle Obama has not yet commented on the resurfaced clip, nor the racism claims against Dr Seuss' books.

President Joe Biden skipped a decades-long tradition this week as he did not mention Dr Seuss in his Read Across America Day proclamation, even though his predecessors President Donald Trump and Obama had both mentioned the renowned author in their respective declarations. That said, the White House is yet to explain specifically why the new president chose to remove the author from his speech.

Dr Seuss Enterprises, which oversees the legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel, confirmed on Tuesday, March 2 that the following books will be pulled from distribution due to their apparent racist undertones: 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street', 'If I Ran the Zoo', 'McElligot’s Pool', 'On Beyond Zebra!', 'Scrambled Eggs Super!' and 'The Cat’s Quizzer'.

In a statement to the Associated Press, the company said that "these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong."

"Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families," it said, adding that the decision to ban said books was made last year after months of discussion. “Dr Seuss Enterprises listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics, and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles,” the statement added.