Trump shares racist video portraying the Obamas as apes
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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, sparked widespread outrage after sharing a video on social media that included a racist clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The clip appeared at the end of a minute-long video promoting false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the imagery echoed long-standing racist caricatures comparing Black people to monkeys.
Republican Senator Tim Scott called on Trump to delete the post, describing it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” The White House dismissed criticism, calling the video an “internet meme” and urging critics to “stop the fake outrage.”
The video originated from a post by a conservative meme creator and also depicted other Democratic figures as animals. It triggered sharp condemnation from Democratic leaders, civil rights groups, and former Obama officials, who described the post as “disgusting,” “racist,” and “despicable.”
The Obamas have not commented on the video.
