Donald Trump is facing renewed backlash after sharing a controversial video online that critics say contains racist imagery involving Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
The clip, which the US president posted to his Truth Social account, has sparked outrage among prominent Democrats and political commentators, with several branding the move “disgusting” and dangerous.
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The one-minute video, shared by Trump earlier this week, allegedly shows the former first couple with their faces superimposed onto the bodies of monkeys.
The imagery reportedly appears briefly at the end of the clip, lasting around a second, while the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight plays in the background.
Elsewhere in the video, false claims are repeated, suggesting that Dominion Voting Systems helped “steal” the 2020 presidential election, an allegation that has been widely debunked and rejected by courts.
The post drew swift condemnation from Democratic figures. California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X:
“Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser to Obama, also weighed in, stating:
“Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying him as a stain on our history.”
This is not the first time Trump has shared fabricated or AI-generated visuals targeting political opponents. In recent years, he has posted manipulated videos depicting Obama being arrested and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in racially charged imagery, which Jeffries previously described as racist.
As of writing, Trump has not publicly addressed the backlash surrounding the latest video.
This is absolutely disgusting! But also true to who he his.
Now back to the epstein files! We will not be distracted or allow him to slither away from them.
This doesn’t bother me at all. Obama and Trump are friends. We saw how they giggled next to each other at the funeral. All these people are actors. Barack and Michelle are no better, and are probably in on it. To the public it seems like discord, and strife, and disagreement, and opposition, disrespect, and criticism, but behind the scenes they plot and plan all this stuff together. I bet they all in the same group chat. I don’t trust none of these people. They all rotten.
This is the dumbest s*** i have heard in a while. If you think these people like each other and are playing games, you need to be committed to the nearest mental hospital… This man will near understand why people love The Obamas more him and his sick family.