President Donald Trump on Thursday night posted a controversial video to his Truth Social account that included a brief clip showing former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed onto the bodies of apes — a racist trope with a long history of dehumanization — prompting widespread condemnation and eventual removal of the post.
The roughly 62-second video, which centered on debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election, was shared around 11:44 p.m. ET. Near the end of the clip, for just a few seconds, the Obamas’ faces appear on animated primates in a jungle setting as the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays in the background.
The imagery drew immediate criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including some of Trump’s own allies.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its removal.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the depiction was offensive and urged all Republicans to denounce the post. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) labeled the imagery “racist” and “vile,” saying Trump should apologize to Barack and Michelle Obama.
Other Republicans, including Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Lawler, also publicly called for the post to be taken down and for an apology.
On Friday morning, the White House initially defended the post, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the content as part of an “internet meme video” likening the president to the “King of the Jungle” and urging critics to focus on other news.
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public,” she said.
But by about noon Friday, the White House said the post had been removed from Trump’s feed. A White House official told reporters that a staffer “erroneously made the post,” though it was not immediately clear whether Trump himself had reviewed the full content before it was shared.
The incident comes as the U.S. observes Black History Month, adding sensitivity to the backlash over the use of a racist stereotype tied to centuries of discrimination. Critics say the imagery is rooted in harmful tropes used historically to dehumanize Black people.
Trump’s posting of the clip also reignited broader debates about his use of social media and political messaging. The video’s primary narrative reaffirmed false claims about the 2020 election — claims repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials — before concluding with the controversial animated segment.
As of Friday evening, representatives for Barack and Michelle Obama have not issued a public statement in response to the video or the controversy surrounding it.
