Listen to the article
Former President Trump faced immediate backlash Thursday night after sharing a video on social media that included racist imagery depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as primates, embedded within a broader election conspiracy narrative.
The video, posted to Trump’s Truth Social account shortly before midnight, runs just over a minute and promotes false claims about the 2020 presidential election. Most concerning to critics was a two-second segment showing the Obamas’ heads superimposed onto the bodies of apes, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed concerns, characterizing the content as “an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King” and dismissing criticism as “fake outrage.”
The original video, first shared on X last October by user @xerias_x, appears to be AI-generated and portrays various Democratic figures as animals. While the full version depicts numerous politicians including Hillary Clinton as a warthog, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a donkey, and Joe Biden as a primate, Trump’s repost focused specifically on the segment featuring the Obamas.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, a Republican who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and is the longest-serving Black senator in U.S. history, quickly condemned the post, stating he was “praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged Trump to remove the video.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom also called the content “disgusting behavior by the President” and demanded that “every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
The incident adds to Trump’s controversial history regarding the Obamas. During Barack Obama’s presidency and beyond, Trump was a prominent promoter of the debunked “birther” conspiracy theory that falsely claimed Obama was not born in the United States. Trump finally acknowledged during his 2016 presidential campaign that “President Obama was born in the United States. Period,” though he continued to share disparaging content about America’s first Black president and first lady.
A spokesperson for the Obamas indicated the former first couple would not be commenting on the post.
Beyond its racist imagery, the video also perpetuates thoroughly debunked claims about the 2020 election. Despite Trump’s continued assertions of widespread fraud, dozens of lawsuits filed by his campaign and Republican allies were dismissed by federal judges. Even Trump’s own attorney general, Bill Barr, stated that the Justice Department found no evidence of fraud substantial enough to change the election outcome.
The video specifically references conspiracy theories about Dominion Voting Systems that have been the subject of multiple defamation lawsuits. These false claims resulted in significant legal settlements, including Fox News paying Dominion $787.5 million and Newsmax paying $67 million to resolve defamation claims. Rudy Giuliani, who publicly promoted many of these theories, also reached a confidential settlement with Dominion last September.
Former special counsel Jack Smith revealed to House investigators last December that Giuliani “disavowed a number of the claims” he had made publicly about the 2020 election during an interview with Smith’s team. The federal case against Trump regarding alleged efforts to subvert the transfer of power was later dropped following his 2024 election victory.
The incident highlights continuing tensions around race and election integrity that have characterized American politics in recent years, even as the president returns to office for his second term.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
9 Comments
While I understand the desire to create provocative political commentary, this video crosses a clear line. Portraying the Obamas as apes is an offensive and dehumanizing tactic with a long, ugly history. We should expect more from our leaders.
I’m not surprised to see this kind of material from the former president, but it’s no less disheartening. Promoting racist imagery under the guise of political satire is unacceptable. We need leaders who will bring people together, not drive them apart.
Absolutely. This is a clear attempt to stir up division and spread misinformation. It’s appalling that the White House would dismiss valid concerns about the content. We deserve better from our elected officials.
Disappointing to see this kind of material from a former president. Regardless of political affiliation, we should hold our leaders to a higher standard and reject the use of racist imagery. This does nothing to address real issues facing the country.
Well said. Spreading this kind of content is irresponsible and damaging. We need leaders who will bring people together, not sow further division through hateful rhetoric and false narratives.
As an American, I’m deeply concerned by the normalization of racist tropes in our politics. This video is a troubling example of how misinformation and bigotry can find their way into the public discourse. We must do better.
Disturbing to see this racist imagery from a former president. Portraying the Obamas as apes is an offensive and dehumanizing tactic with a long, ugly history. This video does nothing but stoke division and spread misinformation.
While I understand the desire to create provocative political memes, this crosses a line. Racist caricatures are never acceptable, even in satire. The White House’s dismissal of concerns is deeply troubling. We should expect more from our leaders.
I agree completely. This type of content has no place in public discourse and should be condemned, not brushed off. It’s a disturbing example of how misinformation and bigotry can spread online.