WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump sparked widespread outrage after posting a racist video on his Truth Social account late Thursday night that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys. 

The clip, which ran for about a minute, also promoted false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election before showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed on cartoon apes as the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played in the background. The post was deleted hours later following bipartisan condemnation.

The White House initially dismissed criticism as “fake outrage,” but later claimed the post was uploaded in error by a staff member. Trump himself told reporters, “No, I didn’t make a mistake,” adding that he had not seen the full video. He further stated, “Of course I condemn the racist parts of the video,” but made clear he would not apologize.

Democrats denounced the post as “vile” and “disgusting,” with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office demanding that “every single Republican must denounce this. Now.” Civil rights groups also condemned the imagery, noting that comparing Black people to monkeys has long been a racist trope used to demean and dehumanize.

Republican lawmakers joined in the criticism, with at least one senior senator calling the video “blatantly racist.” The backlash marked a rare moment of bipartisan unity against Trump’s online behavior, though many Republicans stopped short of directly rebuking him.

The controversy comes as Trump continues to push false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, despite repeated court rulings and investigations debunking those allegations. The video, which had been liked thousands of times before its removal, underscores the ongoing tension between Trump’s use of social media and the broader political climate heading into the 2028 election cycle.

Image from ABC News