Trump Deletes Ape Obamas Video After Claiming He Did Nothing Wrong
Donald Trump has deleted a post from his Truth Social account that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
An unnamed source told Politico that “President Trump didn’t see the video (legitimately didn’t), a staffer posted it.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to downplay the video Friday morning, saying, “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
There’s only one primate in The Lion King, and that’s Rafiki, who is a mandrill. The clip is clearly not from the Disney film, either.
A video posted on President Trump’s Truth Social account portrays former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. pic.twitter.com/B6TLnB2Vqm
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) February 6, 2026
The video, which Trump posted Thursday night, drew backlash from Democrats and Republicans alike, including Republican Senator Tim Scott, who is the longest-serving Black senator in U.S. history. He said on X, “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican who represents a swing district in New York, said, “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive—whether intentional or a mistake—and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”
Trump has a history of racism, especially regarding President Obama. Long before being elected president, Trump pushed the birther conspiracy that Obama wasn’t born in the U.S., and has said, “Laziness is a trait in Blacks.” Did a staffer really post the video without Trump seeing it?