Trump Sparks R@cism Outrage After Posting Al Video Depicting Obamas as Apes

Trump Sparks R@cism Outrage After Posting Al Video Depicting Obamas as Apes

In a late-night social media post that set off a firestorm, Donald Trump ignited major backlash by sharing a controversial AI-generated video on his Truth Social account that shows Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces superimposed on dancing apes in a jungle scene. The shocking imagery, set to the upbeat tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” drew swift accusations of racist undertones given the longstanding harmful stereotype of equating Black people with primates.

Although the full minute-long clip primarily peddled disproven conspiracy theories about the integrity of the 2020 election, it was the final seconds — the ape segment — that drew the sharpest criticism from political leaders and civil rights advocates alike. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office blasted the post as “disgusting behavior” by a sitting president and urged Republicans to condemn it.

Republican voices weren’t unanimous in support, either. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott publicly denounced the video, calling it “the most racist thing” he’s seen from the White House and demanding its removal — a rare rebuke from within Trump’s own party.

The White House, however, defended the post as “part of an internet meme” portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” with Democrats cast as characters from The Lion King, downplaying the outrage as “fake.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged critics to “stop the fake outrage and report on something that actually matters.”

Social media erupted as users from all sides of the political spectrum weighed in, turning the video into a trending topic overnight. Democrats slammed the post as offensive and dehumanizing, while Trump supporters rallied around the meme narrative — deepening the already intense partisan divide.