Following bipartisan backlash, including from a prominent Black Republican U.S. senator, President Donald Trump on Friday deleted a social media post showing former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
The post, shared Thursday night on Trump's Truth Social account, remained online for nearly 12 hours before being removed, according to reports from CNN and the Washington Examiner.
The video was largely focused on election-counting technology and claims about the 2020 presidential election.
But near the end of the clip, an apparent AI-generated image briefly appeared showing the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed onto monkeys.
The post drew swift condemnation, including rare and direct criticism from Republicans.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate and chairman of the Senate GOP campaign committee, posted on X: "Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it."
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of the most politically vulnerable Republicans in Congress, also called for the post to be deleted and urged Trump to apologize.
"The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered," Lawler wrote on X.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also weighed in, calling the post "totally unacceptable" and saying the president should "take it down and apologize."
As the backlash grew, the White House initially dismissed the outrage.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the video was part of an internet meme portraying Trump as the "king of the jungle" and Democrats as characters from "The Lion King."
However, as CNN noted, the clip did not appear to be from Disney's "The Lion King," and the images used in the video were clearly unrelated to the film.
By Friday, the White House shifted its explanation, blaming the posting on a staffer.
"A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," a senior White House official told CNN, a statement later echoed in the Washington Examiner.
Critics argued the post undermined the GOP’s efforts to broaden support among minority voters, while supporters said the administration should focus on issues that matter most to Americans — including inflation, border security, crime, and restoring confidence in elections.
Even so, the sharp response from prominent Republicans signaled that the post crossed a line.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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