President Donald Trump removed a video from his Truth Social account Friday that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, igniting bipartisan condemnation and forcing the White House to blame a staffer for the post.
The video, shared at 11:44 p.m. ET Thursday, remained on Trump’s social media platform until about noon Friday before disappearing amid mounting political pressure from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The approximately one-minute video primarily featured claims about the 2020 election. At 59 seconds into the one minute two second clip, images of the Obamas depicted as apes appeared abruptly, accompanied by the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The video, which bore a watermark from Patriot News Outlet, then returned to similar conspiracy-themed footage before ending.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, calling it an internet meme video. She dismissed criticism as fake outrage. The White House later shifted its explanation Friday midday, with an official stating that a White House staffer erroneously made the post.
The Obamas had no comment when contacted about the video.
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Scott urged the president to remove the post.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black party leader in Congress, issued a forceful response. “President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans,” Jeffries wrote. He called Trump vile and malignant.
Republican Representative Mike Lawler called the post incredibly offensive, while Republican Senator Roger Wicker said it was totally unacceptable. Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick demanded a clear apology from Trump. Republican Representative Mike Turner also demanded that Trump apologize.
Senator Pete Ricketts acknowledged the racist context, stating that a reasonable person sees the racist implications even if intended as a meme reference.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer questioned where Senate Republicans stood on the issue, describing the video as racist and dangerous. Republican Senator John Curtis described the content as blatantly racist and inexcusable, criticizing how long it remained posted. Senator Katie Britt said the video should never have been posted, adding that it does not represent the nation.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the racist depiction and its connection to historical dehumanization of Black Americans.
The incident reignited scrutiny of Trump’s social media habits and his long-standing adversarial relationship with the Obama family. Trump co-founded Truth Social in February 2022 after facing bans from other major social media platforms. The platform has become his primary vehicle for direct communication with supporters and for sharing content that includes both original posts and reposts of videos and memes.
Trump’s relationship with the Obama family has been contentious for over a decade, including his promotion of conspiracy theories about Obama’s birthplace.
The incident also fits a pattern critics identify in Trump’s social media behavior. Detractors regularly accuse him of intentionally stoking controversy to divert attention from politically damaging developments.
Truth Social serves as Trump’s primary social media outlet, providing him a platform for unfiltered commentary, ranging from policy announcements to personal attacks on political opponents to reposts of supporter-generated content.
The president’s defenders often characterize criticism of his social media posts as politically motivated attacks from opponents seeking any opportunity to damage his standing. They argue that Trump simply shares content he finds interesting or amusing without necessarily endorsing every element. However, critics counter that the president’s platform carries inherent authority and that sharing content effectively amplifies and legitimizes it, regardless of intent.
The Friday explanation that a staffer made the post raised questions about White House social media protocols and who has access to the president’s accounts. The initial defense of the post as harmless meme-sharing, followed hours later by the staffer explanation, suggested internal disagreement about messaging strategy or a recalibration in response to the intensity of criticism.
The episode underscores ongoing tensions within the Republican Party between defending Trump and maintaining broader electoral appeal. While Trump retains strong support among the party’s base, some Republican officials represent districts or states where independent and moderate voters play decisive roles. These lawmakers face difficult calculations when Trump generates controversy that could alienate swing voters while his core supporters expect unwavering loyalty.
For Democrats, the incident provided an opportunity to highlight what they characterize as Trump’s pattern of racist behavior and to pressure Republicans into either defending indefensible content or breaking with their party’s leader. The fact that multiple prominent Republicans, including senators and representatives, publicly criticized the post suggested the imagery crossed a line even for lawmakers typically reluctant to challenge Trump.