President Donald Trump triggered a fierce political and public backlash after a late-night Truth Social post shared from his account featured a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post, which circulated widely before being taken down, prompted condemnation from Democrats, Republicans, civil rights advocates, and social media users, reigniting debates about racism, accountability, and presidential conduct in the digital age.
The incident unfolded amid a broader overnight posting spree by Trump, now serving his second term as U.S. president, and quickly became one of the most controversial moments of his current administration.
A Late-Night Post and Immediate Fallout
The video was shared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday night as part of a longer clip that initially focused on claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election—claims Trump has repeatedly made despite evidence to the contrary. Approximately one minute into the video, an unrelated segment appeared showing the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed onto the bodies of animated great apes dancing in a jungle-like setting to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Almost immediately, critics across the political spectrum described the imagery as racist and offensive. Civil rights advocates noted that comparing Black people to apes is a long-standing racist trope used historically to dehumanize people of African descent. The timing of the post during Black History Month further intensified the outrage.
As the clip spread on social media, calls mounted for the White House to explain how such content was shared from the president’s official account.
White House Response and Conflicting Accounts
Initially, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the backlash as overblown. In a statement, she characterized the controversy as “fake outrage,” saying the video was an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. She urged the media to focus on issues she said mattered more to the American public.
However, conflicting accounts soon emerged from within the administration. An unnamed official told The Hill that Trump was unaware of the offensive segment when the video was posted and that a staff member had “really let the president down.” Hours later—roughly 12 hours after the post first appeared—the video was removed from Truth Social.
A senior White House official later confirmed that the video had been posted “erroneously” by a staffer, acknowledging that the clip of the Obamas appeared at the end of an otherwise unrelated video.
Historical Context and Longstanding Tensions
The incident revived scrutiny of Trump’s long history of confrontations involving Barack Obama. Although the Obamas left the White House nine years ago, Trump has frequently invoked them in attacks on Democrats. He was also an early proponent of the “birther” conspiracy theory, falsely claiming that Obama was not born in the United States—an allegation disproven when Hawaii released Obama’s official birth certificate.
Despite the documentation, Trump continued for years to suggest the certificate’s legitimacy was in doubt. Critics argue that the Truth Social video fits into a broader pattern of racially charged rhetoric that has followed Trump throughout his political career.
The resurfacing of these themes has raised renewed questions about whether the president adequately understands or acknowledges the racial implications of such content.
Political Condemnation Across Party Lines
Reaction from political leaders was swift and, in some cases, bipartisan. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democratic figure and frequent critic of the president, condemned Trump’s conduct in a post on X, calling it “disgusting behavior” and urging Republicans to denounce it.
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who has previously supported Trump and appeared with him at rallies, also criticized the post. Scott said he hoped the video was fake, describing it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” and called for its removal.
On social media, users expressed outrage and disbelief. Many argued that defending the video amounted to endorsing racism, while others questioned how any Black supporters of the president could reconcile the imagery with their support
Trump Addresses the Controversy
Speaking to reporters during a Friday night press conference aboard Air Force One, Trump addressed the issue directly. He insisted that he is “the least racist president you’ve had in a long time” and placed responsibility for the post squarely on his staff.
Trump said he had only viewed the beginning of the video, which focused on alleged voter fraud, and claimed he did not see the offensive segment involving the Obamas. According to the president, the video was taken down after a staff member reviewed it in full.
When asked about calls from fellow Republicans for an apology, Trump refused to accept personal responsibility, saying he had not made a mistake. He later added that he condemned the racist portions of the video but offered no direct message to Americans who said they were offended.
A Broader Posting Spree and Political Implications
The controversial video was part of a broader barrage of posts from Trump that night, covering a range of topics including renewed claims of voter fraud, commentary on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, criticism of Democrats as “anti-Christ” and “anti-family,” and a video about trash collection in New York City.
Amid the grievances, Trump also reshared a Super Bowl advertisement promoting his “Invest America” initiative, also known as “Trump accounts,” a program aimed at kickstarting savings for children with federal support. The ad was originally shared on X by billionaire Michael Dell, who announced a $6.25 billion investment in the initiative alongside his wife, Susan.
The episode underscored how quickly controversial content can overshadow policy messaging, raising questions about internal controls over presidential social media accounts and the broader political consequences of such incidents.
