Former President Donald Trump is facing intense backlash after sharing a racially offensive image that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post, shared late Thursday from Trump’s official Truth Social account, appeared within a video promoting a debunked conspiracy theory about voting machines used in the 2020 presidential election.
The incident has reignited debates about racism, political rhetoric, and accountability at the highest levels of power—an episode now widely described as Trump shares controversial image targeting the Obamas as White House dismisses backlash as ‘fake outrage’.
White House Defends the Post
When questioned about the post on Friday, the White House stood firmly behind Trump. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the criticism, claiming the imagery was taken out of context.
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King,” Leavitt said in an emailed statement. She went on to urge critics to “stop the fake outrage and report on something that actually matters to the American public.”
Leavitt also shared a link to a longer version of the video, originally posted on October 24 by a pro-Trump meme account on X (formerly Twitter).
Racist Imagery Draws Bipartisan Condemnation
The full video goes beyond the Obamas, portraying several prominent Democrats as animals, including Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Trump himself is shown as a lion, with the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” playing in the background.
Despite the White House’s defense, the post drew swift condemnation—even from within Trump’s own party. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican senator and a close Trump ally, publicly criticized the image.
“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott wrote on X. “The President should remove it.”
Democrats Demand Accountability
Democratic leaders were even more forceful in their responses, calling the post openly racist and urging Republicans to speak out.
“President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate, and patriotic Americans,” Jeffries wrote on X. “They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged, and malignant bottom feeder.”
Jeffries also questioned why Republican leaders continue to support Trump, calling on every GOP lawmaker to denounce what he described as “disgusting bigotry.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office echoed the sentiment, labeling the post “disgusting behavior by the President” and demanding immediate condemnation from Republicans.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois added that the imagery evoked “Jim Crow–style dehumanization,” calling it “pathetic and a disgrace to the office.”
Silence From the Obama Foundation
As of Friday, the Obama Foundation had not responded to requests for comment. However, the controversy continues to fuel broader conversations about racism, political discourse, and the normalization of offensive content in American politics.
As criticism mounts from across the political spectrum, the episode underscores how quickly provocative online content can escalate into a national controversy—especially when shared by a former president seeking to remain at the center of public attention.
