SUMMARY
- Trump’s video, intended as a “King of the Jungle” meme, was removed following backlash from Republican leaders.
- Senator Tim Scott and other GOP officials publicly called the imagery racist and unacceptable.
- The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the circulation of AI-generated content and politically charged memes on social media.
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump deleted a video from his social media account Thursday night after widespread criticism over its depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The brief clip, part of a longer post promoting false claims about the 2020 election, drew condemnation from both Democrats and members of Trump’s own party.
The deleted clip was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account and lasted only a few seconds, showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed on dancing primates.
Set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” it followed a 62-second video promoting unfounded allegations of election fraud in 2020.
Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, initially dismissed criticism as “fake outrage,” describing the segment as part of a larger video portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle.”
Trump has a history of targeting the Obamas with false claims and derogatory content. In 2011, he amplified the “birther” conspiracy alleging Obama was born outside the United States.
In 2025, he shared an AI-generated video showing Obama’s arrest in the Oval Office. Across his presidency and beyond, Trump’s posts have frequently included racially insensitive memes and AI content depicting political opponents in offensive ways.
Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University, said the video “used one of the oldest racist tropes against Black people, linking them to apes in a dehumanizing manner.”
Political scientist Dr. Meena Bose of George Washington University added that the episode “reflects the normalization of AI-driven political content that can circulate rapidly, bypassing traditional editorial controls.”
Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its removal.
Other Republicans, including Representatives Mike Lawler of New York and Michael Turner of Ohio, described the video as “offensive and unacceptable.”
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, stated before deletion, “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle.
Please stop the fake outrage.” Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said, “The president should take it down and apologize.” A spokeswoman for the Obamas declined to comment.
The incident raises questions about content oversight on political social media platforms and the ethical use of AI-generated media.
Analysts predict increased scrutiny from both lawmakers and social media companies as AI tools are more widely employed in political messaging.
The deleted video reinforces the persistence of racially charged content in political communication and underscores ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over public messaging and digital media accountability.
The episode may influence both public perception and regulatory debates on AI-generated political content in upcoming election cycles.
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