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Trump Obama video row: WH pins blame on staffer after Tim Scott's criticism; ‘taken down’
Donald Trump faced severe criticism for posting an AI-generated video, showing the Obamas as monkeys/apes
As President Donald Trump faced severe criticism for posting an AI-generated video, showing the Obamas as monkeys/apes, including from his ally Tim Scott, the White House issued a clarification. The administration said that the racist video of Barack and Michelle Obama was put out by a staff member and has been removed.
"A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," a White House official told AFP. Trump's spokeswoman had dismissed "fake outrage" over the post.
What did Trump post about the Obamas?
Trump shared a video about election conspiracy theories that included a racist depiction of the Obamas, showing them as primates in a jungle. We cannot see the post on his Truth Social profile at the moment.
The 62-second clip was from a video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states in 2020.
Tim Scott slams video
Sen Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, reacted to the video. “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it,” he wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Scott has been a key Trump ally and also endorsed the president back in 2024.
Karoline Leavitt reacts
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump. “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” Leavitt said. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
Neither President Trump nor the Obamas have reacted to the controversy.
Trump faces flak
Several Democrats and Black leaders slammed Trump. NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement, “Donald Trump’s video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable.”
“You know who isn’t in the Epstein files? Barack Obama,” Johnson said. "You know who actually improved the economy as president? Barack Obama.”
"Every single Republican must immediately denounce Donald Trump's disgusting bigotry," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X.
