White House blames staffer after racist Trump video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes

The video was posted during the first week of Black History Month and remained online for nearly 12 hours before being deleted on Thursday, February 5.

The footage appeared at the end of a one-minute video promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. In the final seconds, the faces of the Obamas were superimposed onto apes in a jungle setting, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The imagery referenced a longstanding racist trope historically used to dehumanise Black people and justify racial violence.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, calling the criticism “fake outrage.” Leavitt stated that the video was intended to be an “internet meme” showing Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. However, the version posted by the President did not show other Democrats, and the Obamas were the only ones depicted.

Republican leaders condemned the video. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, described it as the “most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” He added that he was “praying it was fake” and called for its immediate removal. Representative Mike Lawler described the post as “wrong and incredibly offensive,” while Senator Roger Wicker stated it was “totally unacceptable.”

Following public pressure, the White House claimed the video was posted in error by a staff member. An official statement said a “White House staffer erroneously made the post” and that the President had not been aware of its content. Neither the President nor the White House has issued a formal apology.