Several MAGA and conservative commentators, including Laura Loomer, posted the full video, a clip of which Donald Trump shared on his Truth Social profile, to defend the president amid the racism controversy. This comes after the White House was forced to remove the racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
Trump had reposted the clip on Thursday. It made unsubstantiated claims that voting machines were ‘rigged’ in battleground states during the 2020 election, which the 79-year-old lost to Joe Biden. It was the last seconds of the clip that caused controversy. Photos of the Obamas, depicted like apes, emerged. The ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’ song played in the background.
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White House defends Trump
As Trump was slammed by Democrats and Republicans, including his key ally Tim Scott, the White House issued a statement. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King."
A White House official said that a staffer erroneously published the late-night post. Another one added that the president had not seen the video and was upset that it was posted.
{{/usCountry}}A White House official said that a staffer erroneously published the late-night post. Another one added that the president had not seen the video and was upset that it was posted.
{{/usCountry}}“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it,” Tim Scott wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Read More: Trump's approval rating takes a beating after racist Obamas video; ‘Who’s the monkey now?'
“WOW! WHITE HOUSE SAYS TRUMP DOESN’T WRITE HIS OWN TWEETS??? AUTOPEN!” California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, wrote.
Full Lion King video surfaces
Meanwhile, MAGA commentators shared the full video, claiming that it also shows former President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats. Trump is shown as the Lion King.
“The full Barack Obama “monkey video” portrays numerous elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, as Lion King-like characters, with Trump as a lion and king of the jungle. Interesting how this fact is not being reported on,” one person tweeted.
“Here is the full video Trumps Truth Social account posted that has a 1 second clip of the Obamas with lion King Music. The clip is about election fraud and this brief snippet comes in at the very end of the clip. Not sure if this was intentional or whomever posted it did not watch the clip to the very end,” another person added.