Trump's Truth Social Post Depicting Obamas as Apes Removed Amidst Widespread Criticism
A video clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes was removed from former President Donald Trump's Truth Social account on Friday.
The post, which was part of a longer video promoting conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election, drew criticism from various political figures, including some Republicans. The White House initially defended the post, but it was later removed, with its upload attributed to a staff member's error.
The Controversial Post
The video clip was shared on Trump's official Truth Social account on Thursday evening, during the first week of Black History Month. It was subsequently deleted from the platform. The post was among numerous items shared by Trump's account in recent activity.
Content Details
The video depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. This imagery has historically been used to dehumanize Black individuals. The clip was part of a longer video that advanced conspiracy theories regarding voting machines during the 2020 election. In the full video, other prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were also represented as animals. Former President Trump was depicted as a lion, with the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" playing in the background.
Immediate Reactions and White House's Initial Defense
The post quickly elicited criticism. California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office commented on X, describing the behavior as "disgusting" and urging Republicans to denounce it.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post on Friday morning before its deletion. Leavitt stated that it originated from an an "internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King." She also encouraged reporters to "stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public," and provided a link to a longer video from a pro-Trump meme account. The specific clip shared by Trump reportedly did not include the full video Leavitt referenced.
Calls for Removal and Subsequent Deletion
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, a potential running mate for Trump in 2024, called for the post's removal. He stated he hoped the post was not real and described it as "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House." Republican Senator Roger Wicker also joined the call, stating, "This is totally unacceptable. The President should take it down and apologize."
Hours after these calls, the image was deleted from Trump's Truth Social account.
Attribution and Trump's Stance
Following the deletion, a White House official, who spoke anonymously, stated that a staffer had erroneously posted the video and it had since been taken down.
Former President Trump later told reporters that 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 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." Trump also stated he spoke with Senator Tim Scott, who he said "understood that 100 percent."
Historical Context of the Imagery
The imagery used in the post has historical associations with racist contexts in the U.S., specifically as a trope used to dehumanize Black individuals.
Trump's Past Controversial Statements
Former President Trump has previously made other controversial statements concerning Black people and people of color. These include promoting the unsubstantiated claim that former President Obama was not born in the U.S., using derogatory language regarding African countries, referring to Somali immigrants as "garbage," and stating during a presidential campaign that former Vice President Kamala Harris "turned Black." He has also used the phrase "poisoning the blood" of America in reference to immigrants.