White House Responds After Trump Shares Video Depicting Obamas as Apes, Sparking Racism Backlash

The White House has responded to widespread criticism after former U.S. President Donald Trump shared a controversial video on Truth Social that briefly depicts former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The 62-second video, originally watermarked from pro-Trump X account @XERIAS_X, focuses on renewed claims of voting machine manipulation during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Near the end of the clip, the Obamas’ faces appear superimposed on AI-generated apes for about one second, dancing to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The imagery immediately drew backlash online, with many critics describing it as racially offensive.

Depictions of Black public figures as primates have long been associated with racist stereotypes, and political leaders were quick to condemn the video. California Governor Gavin Newsom called it “disgusting behavior,” urging Republicans to denounce the post. The group Republicans Against Trump also criticised the video, saying it showed “there’s no bottom.”

In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the outrage in a statement shared with Newsweek, though she did not directly address the racist implications. According to Leavitt, the clip was taken from a broader meme video portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle,” with Democrats and other public figures represented as animals inspired by The Lion King. She urged critics to “stop the fake outrage.”

The longer video, originally posted in October, includes portrayals of Vice President Kamala Harris, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and media personalities, with Trump depicted as a lion.

Trump, who was previously banned from Facebook and X following the January 6 Capitol riot, has increasingly used Truth Social to share political content. The video was posted twice alongside renewed, unproven claims about election irregularities in the 2020 race, which Trump lost to President Joe Biden.

The clip continues to generate strong reactions online, with critics accusing Trump of promoting racist imagery, while the White House maintains that the backlash is being exaggerated.