US President Donald Trump has removed a social media video which included a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The clip - set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight - was at the end of a 62-second video containing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Republican Senator Tim Scott - who is black - had called for the president to remove the post, describing it as 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House'. The White House initially defended the clip as an 'internet meme video' and told critics to 'stop the fake outrage'.
The clip, reminiscent of racist caricatures comparing black people to monkeys, appears to have been taken from a post shared by conservative meme creator Xerias in October. This video also portrayed other high-profile Democrats as animals, including figures such as New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, was also depicted in a similarly racist manner. The Obamas have yet to comment on the video. However, Trump's sharing of the video - one of many posted on his Truth Social account overnight - triggered a wave of backlash, including criticism from within his own party.
Senator Scott referred to the clip as incredibly offensive, while fellow Republican Mike Lawler called for immediate removal and an apology from Trump. The White House press secretary initially stated that the clip was from a meme video depicting Trump as the 'King of the Jungle'.
After the backlash reached a boiling point, a White House official later stated that a staffer 'erroneously' made the post, which has since been taken down. Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, condemned the video as 'disgusting and utterly despicable'.
Former Obama administration official Ben Rhodes remarked that future Americans would view Obama positively, contrasting with Trump, viewed as a negative mark in history. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called Trump a 'racist', while California Governor Gavin Newsom demanded a denouncement of Trump's actions from all Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Trump 'vile' and reiterated calls for condemnation.
The video clip, which included claims about a voting conspiracy during the 2020 presidential election, was later debunked during legal proceedings involving Dominion Voting Systems. Trump's history of making derogatory remarks about Obama and unfounded claims regarding his citizenship only adds to the controversy surrounding this latest incident.
