Donald Trump posts 'incredibly racist' video of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes

Donald Trump Sparks Outrage After Sharing Racist Video Depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as Apes

U.S. President Donald Trump ignited intense criticism from across the political spectrum after posting a video on his Truth Social account that included a brief clip portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed on the bodies of apes. The imagery, which appears only in the closing seconds of the clip, is widely understood as a racist trope historically used to demean Black people. 

The roughly one-minute video, shared in the late hours of Thursday night, largely pushes debunked claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. As the video ends, however, the Obamas’ smiling faces are shown dancing in a jungle setting to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, evoking deeply offensive caricatures. 

Critics from both major parties condemned the post. California Governor Gavin Newsom called it “disgusting behavior,” urging fellow Republicans to speak out against the imagery, while former Obama aide Ben Rhodes said the clip would “haunt” Trump and his supporters. The activist group Republicans Against Trump, which has over a million followers on social media, also labeled the video racist. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post, dismissing criticism as “fake outrage” and claiming the footage was part of an internet meme portraying Trump as a lion and Democrats as various animals — an attempt to frame it all as harmless satire. Trump himself has not publicly addressed the specific backlash over the imagery.

The controversy arises during Black History Month, amplifying concern among commentators and civil rights advocates who say the episode highlights ongoing issues around race, political rhetoric, and the use of artificial intelligence in spreading provocative content.