SUMMARY
- Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Mike Lawler called on Trump to remove the post, citing offensiveness and racial insensitivity.
- The White House defended the video as a meme portraying Trump as “King of the Jungle” with Democrats as various jungle characters.
- The post has reignited concerns about social media’s role in political discourse and the normalization of racially charged content.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the US Senate, sharply criticized a social media post shared by former President Donald Trump late Thursday that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys, calling it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
The video, which circulated on X, has drawn widespread criticism across the political spectrum.
The video, roughly one minute long, frames the Obamas in monkey form while a clip of the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays.
It followed a segment promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. While other political figures, including Hillary Clinton and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, were depicted as animals, only the Obamas were shown as monkeys.
Racial depictions of Black individuals as monkeys or apes have long been recognized as a harmful trope dating back centuries. Social media posts by political figures have repeatedly generated controversy for amplifying such imagery.
Trump has previously faced backlash for AI-generated deepfake videos targeting Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism, stating, “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
Experts say the post underscores ongoing challenges in political communications on social media.
Dr. Rashawn Ray, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, noted, “Depicting prominent Black figures in this manner reinforces racialized stereotypes and can normalize divisive imagery in political messaging.”
Political analyst Dr. Kim Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said, “Even allies of the former president are recognizing the broader implications.
The criticism from Sen. Scott is significant because it highlights internal tensions within the Republican Party over race and public perception.”
“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott said in his X post Friday morning, calling on Trump to remove the video.
Rep. Mike Lawler added, “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive whether intentional or a mistake and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”
The video may further strain Trump’s relationships with key Republican figures and could influence public discourse on race and political media.
Observers suggest the controversy may trigger internal discussions about social media standards within political campaigns.
The Trump Obama video controversy underscores ongoing tensions surrounding race, social media, and political communication.
With criticism coming from both Democrats and Republican allies, the incident highlights the potential impact of digital content on national political discourse.
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