United States President Donald Trump has triggered widespread condemnation after posting a controversial video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys, drawing accusations of racism from leading Democrats and civil rights advocates.
The video, shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social platform, appears as part of a one-minute montage promoting conspiracy theories surrounding Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election.
For a brief moment, the Obamas’ faces are superimposed onto monkeys’ bodies while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays in the background.
Top Democratic figures swiftly denounced the post as offensive and racist. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office described the video as “disgusting behaviour,” urging Republican leaders to publicly condemn it.
Ben Rhodes, a former senior adviser to President Obama, said the imagery would further cement Trump’s legacy as divisive and racially inflammatory.
The White House, however, dismissed the backlash, describing it as “fake outrage.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the clip originated from an “internet meme” portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, urging critics to focus on issues affecting everyday Americans.
The video also repeats discredited claims that Dominion Voting Systems helped rig the 2020 election in favour of President Joe Biden—allegations that have been repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials. Despite the criticism, the post attracted thousands of likes within hours of publication.
Trump’s long-running rivalry with Obama has often carried racial undertones. He rose to political prominence by promoting the false “birther” conspiracy questioning Obama’s citizenship and has frequently targeted the former president in public remarks.
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Obama, the first Black president in U.S. history, actively campaigned against Trump during the 2024 election.
Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has increasingly shared provocative and AI-generated content that mocks political opponents.
His administration has also drawn criticism for dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes across federal institutions, moves opponents say undermine decades of civil rights progress.
The latest controversy has reignited debates over racism, political rhetoric and the growing use of manipulated media in American public life, with critics warning that such imagery deepens divisions and erodes democratic norms.