President Donald Trump ignited a major political controversy after sharing a video on his Truth Social platform that included a brief segment showing former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama depicted as apes. The clip—part of a longer video pushing false claims about the 2020 election—was widely condemned as racist and was ultimately removed from online after intense backlash from leaders across the political spectrum.
Video Sparks Racism Outcry and Broad Condemnation
Late Thursday night, Trump’s social media post included a minute-long video alleging irregularities in the 2020 election. Toward its end, an AI-generated scene briefly appeared with animated primates whose faces resembled those of the Obamas, set to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Critics said the imagery evoked a long-standing racist trope used to dehumanize Black Americans and sparked rapid condemnation.
Republican Senator Tim Scott called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” urging its removal, while other GOP lawmakers and Democratic leaders also denounced it. Civil rights groups labeled the portrayal “blatantly racist,” saying it was especially offensive given American history.
White House Reaction and Removal of the Post
Initially, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the controversial clip, describing it as part of an internet meme likening Trump to the “King of the Jungle” with Democrats as other jungle characters, and dismissed criticism as “fake outrage.” However, as bipartisan criticism mounted, the White House acknowledged the post was shared in error by a staff member and removed it from the platform.
The rapid deletion seemed to reflect the recognition of the severity of the backlash, with calls for apologies from both sides of the political aisle. Trump has not publicly addressed the specific criticism about the Obama depiction.
