President Donald Trump ignited a firestorm of criticism on Friday after a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes was posted on his Truth Social account, then deleted amid intense bipartisan backlash and controversy over its meaning, context, and impact on American political discourse. 

The short clip appeared at the end of a roughly 62-second video promoting false claims about the 2020 election. In the final moment, the Obamas’ faces were superimposed onto cartoon ape bodies set to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”— a visual that invoked centuries-old racist tropes comparing Black people to non-human primates. 

Although the clip was only visible for a short period, the post remained online for nearly 12 hours before White House officials removed it, at first insisting it had been posted in error by a staffer. Initial defenses from the administration dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage” and framed the content as part of a broader “internet meme” portraying Trump as a lion and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. 

Outrage from Across the Political Spectrum

Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike condemned the imagery.

• Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the sole Black Republican in the Senate and a Trump ally, called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged Trump to take it down. 

• Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), considered vulnerable in a swing district, said the president’s post was “wrong and incredibly offensive” and demanded an apology. 

• Democratic leaders blasted the video as unabashedly racist, drawing on the historical weight of the offensive trope and its impact on Black Americans. 

The episode came during Black History Month, a context that many critics said made the image particularly harmful and tone-deaf. 

The White House Response and Trump’s Position

After initially attributing the post to a staff error, Trump later acknowledged he approved sharing the video but claimed he hadn’t seen the objectionable portion. He refused to apologize for the incident, asserting that he didn’t view the full video before it was posted. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post as a joke tied to internet meme culture, saying critics were overreacting and focusing on “fake outrage” rather than substantive issues. 

Context and Broader Concerns

The controversy reflects ongoing debates over the role of social media and provocative political messaging in U.S. public life. Trump has a long history of using social platforms to share controversial and misleading content, particularly around figures like Barack Obama. Critics argue that such posts contribute to a coarsening of political discourse and reinforce harmful racial stereotypes. 

Some observers also noted that the clip’s brief life on Truth Social did not prevent it from amplifying the creation of a memecoin tied to the imagery, highlighting the intersection of political content, internet culture, and financial speculation. 

Aftermath and Continued Debate

As the video circulated online, it sparked a broader conversation about racism, media responsibility, and political leadership in the digital age. While the White House claims the post was mistaken, many critics say that explanation does little to mitigate the harm caused by a high-visibility leader spreading imagery rooted in historical racial mockery. 

Sources: CNN, The Atlantic, Opinion piece