Donald Trump's Satirical video of the Obama Family elicits sharp Condemnation

 

President Donald Trump recently shared a video on his Truth Social platform (posted late Thursday, February 5, 2026) that included a brief, apparently AI-generated or edited clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates (apes/monkeys) in a jungle setting. The imagery appeared near the end of a roughly 62-second video, which otherwise focused on conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and voting machines, set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." 

The clip showed the Obamas' faces superimposed on animated apes.

The post was framed by some as part of a broader "meme" portraying Trump as the "King of the Jungle" (a lion) and various Democrats as animals from The Lion King, but the specific Obama segment drew immediate and intense criticism for invoking a long-standing racist trope that dehumanizes Black people by comparing them to apes or monkeys—a historical tool of racism, slavery, and segregation.

Key Reactions and Developments

Bipartisan backlash: The video faced sharp condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans. 

Civil rights leaders, including the NAACP, called it "blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable." Prominent Republicans, such as Sen. Tim Scott (the only Black Republican in the Senate), described it as "the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House" and urged its removal. 

Other GOP figures, like Sen. Katie Britt and Rep. Mike Lawler, labeled it "inexcusable" or "offensive."

White House response: Initially, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post as an "internet meme" and dismissed criticism as "fake outrage." 

Later, officials attributed it to a staffer error, and the video was deleted after about 12 hours (by Friday morning, February 6, 2026).

Trump's stance: Trump told reporters he directed aides to post it but claimed he hadn't seen the full video—only the beginning—and said he "didn't make a mistake" or plan to apologize. 

He suggested he wouldn't have liked the offending part either if he'd noticed it.

Broader context: The incident occurred early in Black History Month, amplifying outrage. Critics linked it to Trump's history of personal attacks on the Obamas (e.g., birther conspiracies). 

The Obamas themselves did not directly comment, though they posted about supporting Team USA at the Winter Olympics around the same time.

On X (formerly Twitter), reactions ranged from outrage calling it outright racism to some defenders dismissing it as a harmless or mistaken "meme," with others defending Trump by attacking the Obamas or claiming no intent. 

Piers Morgan publicly urged deletion, hoping Trump hadn't realized the clip's ending.

This episode highlights ongoing tensions around political memes, AI-edited content, and racial imagery in U.S. discourse. 

The video was removed, but screenshots and discussions continue to circulate widely.