The White House removed a video from President Donald Trump’s social media account after it sparked bipartisan outrage for depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, imagery widely condemned as racist.
The video, posted late Thursday to Trump’s Truth Social account, largely focused on false claims about the 2020 presidential election before ending with a short clip portraying the Obamas as primates set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Critics quickly denounced the imagery, noting its long history as a racist trope used against Black people.
The post drew swift condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” while other lawmakers described the video as offensive and unacceptable, particularly coming from a sitting president.
Initially, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post, saying it was part of an “internet meme video” portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and political opponents as animals, and urged critics to focus on policy issues instead.
By Friday afternoon, the video had been deleted. A White House official said a staff member had “erroneously” shared the clip, though the explanation did little to quell criticism from civil rights advocates and political leaders.
Advocacy groups highlighted the timing of the incident during Black History Month, calling the imagery especially harmful and urging the administration to acknowledge the racist context of the video rather than dismiss it as a joke or meme.
The incident adds to a series of controversies surrounding the president’s use of social media, an approach that has repeatedly drawn criticism for inflammatory rhetoric and imagery, even as supporters argue it bypasses traditional media to reach voters directly.