WASHINGTON – A racist social media post by President Donald Trump depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was removed on , following widespread condemnation from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The post, initially shared on Trump’s Truth Social account on , sparked immediate backlash, with critics labeling it offensive and deeply troubling.
The White House initially defended the post, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing the criticism as “fake outrage.” However, after mounting pressure, including calls for its removal from within the Republican party, the White House attributed the post to a staffer who had “posted the video erroneously.” The post was subsequently deleted.
The incident occurred during the first week of Black History Month and just days after a presidential proclamation acknowledging “the contributions of Black Americans to our national greatness” and reaffirming “the American principles of liberty, justice, and equality.” This juxtaposition heightened the sense of dissonance and fueled the criticism.
The 62-second clip largely consisted of a conservative video alleging voting machine tampering during the election. However, at the , the video briefly displayed images of primates with the faces of the Obamas superimposed on them. These images originated from a separate, previously circulated meme created by a conservative content creator, which depicted Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democratic leaders as various animals.
Leavitt initially described the post as originating from “an Internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” despite the film being set on the savannah, not in a jungle, and not featuring great apes.
President Trump, when questioned about the post on while departing the White House, stated, “I didn’t make a mistake.” He claimed he had only viewed the beginning of the video, which he said focused on his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. When asked if he condemned the video, he replied, “Of course I do.”
The removal of the post and the subsequent explanation raised questions about the vetting process for content shared on Trump’s social media account, particularly given his frequent use of the platform to make policy announcements and address political rivals. The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the oversight of the president’s social media activity.
Mark Burns, a pastor and prominent Trump supporter, stated he spoke directly with the president and recommended the dismissal of the staffer responsible for the post and a public condemnation of the incident. According to Burns, Trump acknowledged the post was “wrong, offensive, and unacceptable.”
Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke expressed skepticism regarding the White House’s explanation, suggesting a “toxic and racist climate” within the administration contributed to the incident. She characterized Trump as a “racist” and “bigot.”
Condemnation of the post extended across the political spectrum. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called on Trump to remove the post, stating, “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi also deemed the post “totally unacceptable” and urged the president to apologize.
The NAACP President Derrick Johnson described the video as “utterly despicable” and suggested it was a distraction tactic employed by Trump to divert attention from economic concerns and the release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The incident underscores a long history in the United States of associating Black individuals with animals in a demonstrably false and racist manner. This practice dates back to the and was used to justify the enslavement and dehumanization of Black people. Historical examples cited include writings by Thomas Jefferson and comments made by President Dwight Eisenhower during the school desegregation era. During Obama’s presidency, he was also depicted as a monkey in various forms of media.
Trump’s history of incendiary rhetoric and racially charged statements includes false claims about Barack Obama’s birthplace, derogatory remarks about immigrants (“poisoning the blood of our country”), and crude generalizations about majority-Black nations. He initially denied using the term “shithole countries” to describe certain nations but later admitted to doing so in .
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the enduring presence of racial bias and the potential for harmful rhetoric to be amplified through social media platforms, even at the highest levels of government.
