Former President Donald Trump has deleted a racist video from his Truth Social account that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, following a significant wave of public outrage and criticism. The controversial post remained live on the platform for approximately twelve hours before being taken down, sparking intense debate about racial insensitivity in political discourse.
White House Initially Defends Controversial Post
The White House initially stood by the video, which was set to Tight Fit's song The Lion Sleeps Tonight and edited into a longer clip promoting Trump's false claims about the 2020 election being stolen. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the content, describing it as "an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King." She urged critics to "stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public."
Staffer Blamed for Posting Racist Content
Following mounting pressure, the White House eventually removed the video and issued a statement claiming "a staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down." This explanation came after numerous prominent figures, including Republican Senator Tim Scott, condemned the content. Senator Scott, who chairs the Senate Republicans' midterm campaign team and is Black, expressed his dismay on social media, stating: "Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House. The President should remove it."
Historical Context of Racist Imagery
The video taps into a deeply troubling history in the United States where powerful white figures have associated Black people with animals, particularly apes, as a means of dehumanization. This practice originated in 18th century cultural racism and pseudo-scientific theories that falsely connected Africans to monkeys to justify the enslavement of Black people in Europe and North America. Later, such imagery was used to portray freed Black people as uncivilized threats to white society.
Trump's Pattern of Racist Rhetoric
This incident represents the latest in a series of racially charged statements and actions from Trump, who has repeatedly insulted and attacked President Obama throughout his political career. Trump has frequently used 'dogwhistle' remarks about Obama's heritage, pushed the racist birther conspiracy theory questioning Obama's birthplace, and often emphasized his middle name "Hussain" when referring to him. In a plaque intended to accompany Obama's portrait in the White House, Trump described him as a "divisive" president, which many interpreted as a reference to his race.
Trump's rhetoric has become increasingly overt in its racism in recent months. During the 2024 campaign, he claimed immigration was "poisoning the blood of our country," and he has recently targeted people of Somali descent, referring to them as "garbage" and stating in a December 2025 speech: "I don't want 'em in our country. Their country's no good for a reason."
Political Reactions and Consequences
The group Republicans Against Trump, which frequently criticizes the former president on social media, responded to the video with the statement: "There's no bottom." This incident highlights ongoing tensions within the Republican Party regarding Trump's conduct and messaging. Trump has developed a pattern of posting and reposting dozens of videos, images, and conspiracy theories to his Truth Social platform, often during late-night sessions, raising questions about content moderation and accountability.
The deletion of the racist video represents a rare instance of Trump backtracking on controversial content, though it occurred only after sustained criticism from both political opponents and members of his own party. The episode underscores the continuing challenges surrounding racial discourse in American politics and the normalization of inflammatory rhetoric in certain political circles.
