Trump's Truth Social Posts Video Depicting Obamas as Apes, Later Removed
Former President Donald Trump's Truth Social account posted a video on February 5 that included an image depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The video, part of a larger discussion on theories related to the 2020 election, was subsequently removed approximately 12 hours after being posted, following criticism from some Republican figures and others. The White House attributed the post to a staff member's error.
Video Content and Posting
The video was shared on Donald Trump's official Truth Social account on Thursday evening, February 5. It was part of a series of social media posts, totaling over 70 items that evening, and promoted conspiracy theories related to the 2020 US election, which Mr. Trump has falsely claimed was stolen.
Near the end of the minute-long video, an image appeared for approximately one second, depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces on the bodies of apes. The full video also featured other animals representing prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mr. Trump was depicted as a lion, with the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" playing in the background.
Historically, the depiction of Black individuals as apes or animals has been used to dehumanize them and justify slavery.
White House Defends, Then Removes, Controversial Post
On Friday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, describing it as an "internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King." Ms. Leavitt encouraged reporters to "stop the fake outrage" and provided a link to a longer video from a pro-Trump meme account.
However, the post elicited criticism. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) publicly called for the post's removal, stating, "Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House." Senator Roger Wicker and Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) also criticized the video. Following these calls, the image was deleted from Trump's Truth Social account.
Senator Tim Scott stated, "Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House."
A White House official, speaking anonymously, later stated that an unnamed staffer had erroneously posted the video, and it had since been taken down.
Trump's Defense and Backlash Against Republican Critics
After the video's removal, Mr. Trump told reporters he had only viewed the beginning of the clip, which focused on voter fraud, before passing it to staffers for reposting. He maintained that he had not seen the specific offensive clip at the end and had no reason to apologize, stating, "I didn't make a mistake, I look at thousands of things, I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine." He added, "Nobody knew that was in the end, if they would have looked, they would have seen it, and probably they would have the sense to take it down." Mr. Trump also stated he spoke with Senator Scott, who "understood that 100 percent," and that he had no plans to discipline the staffer responsible. Aides Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino are known to have access to Mr. Trump's social media accounts.
Over the weekend following the incident, Mr. Trump reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Republican lawmakers who had condemned the video. Sources indicated he complained to allies about these Republicans, questioning their loyalty and suggesting consequences. Senators Tim Scott and Katie Britt were specifically mentioned. A senior Trump administration official stated that Mr. Trump believed Senator Scott should have addressed the matter privately.
Sources also reported that Mr. Trump used expletives to describe Senator Britt and stated she was "dead to him"; Senator Britt's office refuted this account as "fake news." Far-right activist Laura Loomer reportedly provided Mr. Trump with statements from lawmakers who had criticized the video. Mr. Trump reportedly only met with select senators at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's winter retreat who had not criticized him over the video.
Obama Comments on Political Discourse
Former US President Barack Obama commented on the state of political discourse in an interview released on Saturday, without directly naming Donald Trump. He stated that the majority of Americans find this type of behavior "deeply troubling" and commented on a perceived lack of shame and decorum in contemporary political discourse, describing it as a "clown show" on social media and television.
Obama described contemporary political discourse as a "clown show" on social media and television.
History of Trump's Controversial Statements
Mr. Trump has previously made statements concerning Black people and other people of color. These include promoting claims that former President Obama was not born in the U.S. and using derogatory language regarding African countries. In December, he referred to Somali immigrants as "garbage," and during his election campaign, he made claims about Haitian migrants and stated that former Vice-President Kamala Harris "became Black," though Ms. Harris identifies as Black and Indian American. He has also stated that immigrants were "poisoning the blood" of America. Despite these statements, support for Mr. Trump among Black voters reportedly increased between 2020 and 2024, particularly among younger Black men.