Donald Trump: US President Donald Trump triggered widespread condemnation on Friday after sharing a video on Truth Social that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates. The clip, which also promoted false claims about the 2020 election, remained online for nearly 12 hours before being deleted.
The post drew sharp criticism across the political spectrum, with opponents calling it racist and offensive.
Trump Denies Responsibility, Refuses to Apologise
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had not watched the full video and blamed a staff member for posting it. He claimed he only saw the opening portion related to alleged voter fraud and was unaware of the imagery involving the Obamas.
“We took it down as soon as we found out about it,” Trump said, adding that he reviews “thousands of things” daily. While condemning the offensive imagery, the president refused to apologise, stating, “I didn’t make a mistake.”
Meme Video Sparks Political Condemnation
The 62-second clip largely recycled debunked claims of election fraud but included a brief frame portraying the Obamas as jungle primates. The video appears to have originated from a conservative meme casting Trump as the “King of the Jungle,” while depicting Democratic leaders as animals.
The full Barack Obama “monkey video” portrays numerous elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, as Lion King-like characters, with Trump as a lion and king of the jungle.
Interesting how this fact is not being reported on. pic.twitter.com/nJz1IbSuDN
— Loomer Unleashed (@LoomerUnleashed) February 6, 2026
Democratic leaders denounced the post as racist and degrading. Republican Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing” he had seen from the White House, while Senator Roger Wicker described it as “totally unacceptable” and urged an apology.
White House Response and Broader Concerns
The White House initially downplayed the controversy, calling the clip an “internet meme” and dismissing early criticism as overblown. By midday, the post was removed, with officials confirming it had been shared in error by a staffer.
The Obamas have not issued an immediate response. However, senior Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, cited the incident as part of a broader pattern of racially divisive rhetoric, pointing to Trump’s past promotion of the “birther” conspiracy.
Critics also flagged Trump’s growing use of AI-generated and hyper-realistic visuals on social media, warning that such tactics risk inflaming racial tensions while spreading misinformation.
