Donald Trump has deleted a racist video he shared on Truth Social that targeted Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, following widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.

Despite the backlash, Trump insists he has nothing to apologize for.
The controversy erupted late Thursday when Trump reposted a video originally produced by the Patriot News Outlet. The clip claimed—without evidence—that a Michigan investigation uncovered technology used to rig the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly alleged election fraud, though no proof has substantiated those claims.

At first, the video appeared to be a serious discussion about alleged voting irregularities. But in its final moments, it abruptly shifted tone. As “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens began playing, Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces were digitally placed onto the bodies of monkeys in a jungle-like setting.

Outrage quickly spread across social media, intensified by the timing during Black History Month. Many critics highlighted the long, racist history of depicting Black people as primates—a tactic meant to demean and dehumanize—which the Obamas themselves endured during their time in the White House.

Condemnation came from across the political spectrum, including prominent Republicans such as Trump ally Tim Scott, who called for the post to be removed.

The White House, however, initially appeared to dismiss the criticism.

A White House official first claimed the post was shared in error by a staff member and had been taken down. Later, during a press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against the backlash, arguing that the outrage was exaggerated and politically motivated.

She described the clip as an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, urging the media to “stop the fake outrage” and focus on issues that matter to Americans. However, critics pointed out that in the original meme, Trump’s rivals’ faces were never placed on apes—and that The Lion King itself doesn’t feature apes at all, aside from Rafiki, a mandrill who bears no resemblance to the offensive imagery used.

Trump later addressed the controversy himself, telling reporters that he condemned the racist elements of the video but maintained he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, he admitted he hadn’t watched the full clip.
“I looked at the beginning of it—it was fine,” Trump said, explaining that the opening focused on alleged voter fraud and voting machines. He added that someone else likely posted the video without reviewing it fully and said it was removed as soon as the problematic content was discovered.