Did trump post video of obamas as apes?
Executive summary (1.)
President Donald Trump reposted a social-media video on his Truth Social account that included a short clip portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes; the post drew bipartisan condemnation and was removed by the White House within about 12 hours [1] [2]. The video appears to have originated with a pro‑Trump meme account on X and was AI‑edited; the White House later said a staffer “erroneously” made the post, though accounts differ about whether the president personally authorized it [3] [1] [4].
2. What was posted and where the imagery came from
The material shared by the president was a 62‑second clip pushing debunked 2020‑election conspiracy claims that, in its final second, spliced in an AI‑style sequence showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed onto ape bodies while a snippet of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays — a segment that recalls long‑standing racist caricatures [5] [6] [3]. News outlets reporting on the post say the frames appear taken from a video first circulated in October by a conservative meme creator on X, which portrayed multiple Democratic figures as animals and cast Trump as “King of the Jungle” [1] [6] [7].
3. Did Trump post the video? — The straightforward answer
Yes: the clip was shared from President Trump’s Truth Social account and was visible overnight before being deleted by the White House the following day [1] [2]. Multiple major outlets — including the Associated Press, CNN, BBC, NBC, The New York Times and others — reported that the video showing the Obamas as apes was posted to and later removed from the president’s account [5] [1] [6] [8].
4. Who is taking responsibility — the White House line and competing accounts
The White House initially defended the post as an “internet meme” while its press secretary sought to dismiss criticism as “fake outrage,” but after mounting backlash officials said the post was removed and attributed it to an “erroneous” staffer action [9] [10] [9]. Anonymous White House sources reported to outlets that a staffer posted the material without the president’s knowledge, a claim cited by The New York Times and others; reporting reflects that those accounts are based on sources within the administration and have not been independently verified beyond those official statements [4] [8].
5. The reaction: bipartisan condemnation and political context
The post triggered unusually swift condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, including prominent Republican Senator Tim Scott, who described it in forceful terms, and prompted calls for apologies and explanations [6] [8] [11]. Coverage emphasized the historical context — that equating Black people with apes is a centuries‑old racist trope used to dehumanize and justify violence — and many critics tied the post to a pattern of inflammatory imagery and conspiracy amplification by the president’s social accounts [2] [5] [12].
6. What reporting does not establish
Existing reporting documents the reposting, the clip’s origin in a pro‑Trump meme video, the removal, and the White House’s claim of staff error, but it does not provide documentary proof in the public record that the president personally selected or directly posted the specific frames of the Obamas; that detail rests on anonymous administration accounts and the White House’s public statement, which are reported but not independently corroborated in available coverage [4] [9].
7. Bottom line and implications
Factually: the president’s account did share a video that contained a depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, and the White House removed it amid broad condemnation [1] [2]. Politically and culturally, the episode reopened debate about racial tropes in political messaging, accountability for official social posts, and where responsibility lies when viral memes are recycled by high‑level accounts; official explanations and anonymous claims fill in parts of the story but leave some questions about decision‑making and intent unresolved in the public record [8] [4].