President Donald Trump has deleted a controversial social media post depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes following an intense backlash from civil rights leaders, Democrats, and Republicans, even as the White House initially defended the post and later shifted blame to a staffer.
The video, shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, appeared largely drawn from a conservative clip promoting false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Near the end of the 62-second video, a brief but striking image showed two primates in a jungle setting with the Obamas’ faces digitally imposed. The imagery prompted swift condemnation for echoing long-standing racist tropes used to dehumanise Black Americans.
Despite the outcry, Trump said Friday night that he will not apologise, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he “didn’t make a mistake.” Trump claimed he shared the video after liking its opening and suggested the imagery went unseen before posting. “I saw it and just passed it on,” he says, adding that “probably nobody reviewed the end of it.”
The White House initially responded defensively. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism as “fake outrage” and described the video as an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as animal characters inspired by Disney’s The Lion King. That explanation drew further ridicule, as the 1994 film is set on the African savannah and does not include great apes.
Hours later, amid mounting pressure, the White House confirmed the post had been deleted and attributed responsibility to a subordinate who allegedly posted it in error. The rare acknowledgment of a misstep raised questions about who controls Trump’s social media accounts, which he frequently uses to announce policy decisions, threaten adversaries, and amplify conspiracy theories.
Trump insisted that the video’s purpose was to highlight alleged election fraud claims repeatedly rejected by courts, state officials, and even Trump’s own first-term attorney general. The post was part of a broader overnight barrage of messages amplifying Trump’s false assertions that the 2020 election was stolen.
The controversy erupted during the first week of Black History Month, days after Trump issued a proclamation praising “the contributions of Black Americans” and American ideals of liberty and equality. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president has no response.
Condemnation came swiftly from across the political spectrum. Senate Republicans’ campaign chair Tim Scott, the chamber’s only Black Republican, called the post “the most racist thing” he has seen from the White House and urged its removal. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, whose state has the highest percentage of Black residents, labeled the video “totally unacceptable” and said Trump should apologise.
Prominent Black leaders rejected the White House’s explanation. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke said she does not believe the post was accidental and argued it reflects a “toxic and racist climate” within the administration. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the video “utterly despicable,” suggesting Trump is attempting to distract from economic concerns and renewed scrutiny surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case.
At a Black History Month market in Harlem, vendor Jacklyn Monk said the post was embarrassing regardless of its deletion. In Atlanta, Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., invoked her father’s words while rejecting racist dehumanisation: “We are not apes.”
The imagery taps into a long and deeply rooted history of racism in the United States, where Black people have been falsely compared to animals to justify enslavement, segregation, and discrimination. Obama himself faced similar depictions during his presidency and campaigns, including racist merchandise portraying him as a primate.
The episode adds to Trump’s record of racially charged rhetoric, including birtherism, calling majority-Black nations “shithole countries,” and using language in recent campaigns that echoes historic dehumanisation. While Trump said he condemns racism, critics argued his words and actions continue to reinforce it.
Despite calls for accountability from both parties, Trump showed no sign of backing down and no apology appears forthcoming.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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