President Trump on Thursday shared a video that contained a clip portraying former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

President Trump on Thursday shared a video that contained a clip portraying former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

**Trump Sparks Outrage by Sharing Video With Racist Depiction of the Obamas**

*February 6, 2026* — U.S. President Donald Trump drew widespread condemnation after posting a controversial video on his Truth Social account Thursday night that included a brief clip portraying former President **Barack Obama** and former First Lady **Michelle Obama** as apes — imagery widely seen as racist and dehumanizing. ([Axios][1])

The roughly **one-minute video**, largely focused on promoting unfounded claims about the 2020 presidential election, cuts near the end to a **two-second AI-generated sequence** showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed onto ape bodies, set to the song *“The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”* ([Reuters][2])

Critics — including politicians from both parties — denounced the post. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office called the depiction “disgusting behavior by the President” and urged Republican leaders to condemn it, while Republican Senator Tim Scott described it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” ([CBS News][3])

Supporters of the president offered varied reactions, and **White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post**, dismissing the backlash as “fake outrage” and saying the clip was from an internet meme framing Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from *The Lion King*.

The post drew particular attention because it came during **Black History Month**, a time when many observers noted the historical weight of comparing Black public figures to primates — a trope long used to demean people of African descent.

As of Friday morning, neither the Obamas nor their representatives had publicly responded to the video.