Republican Sen. Tim Scott on Friday criticized President Donald Trump for sharing a social-media video that depicts former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The South Carolina senator — the only Black Republican in the Senate — wrote in an X post: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”
Why It Matters
Trump has leaned heavily on social media, frequently posting memes and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content that has sparked controversy. The White House has often brushed off the backlash as exaggerated, while some experts argue the posts are meant to distract from larger policy issues.
What To Know
The video — using footage from Patriot News Outlet — was posted to Trump’s Truth Social account at 11:44 p.m. ET on Thursday. A narrator discusses alleged voting irregularities in the 2020 election.
Near the end of the roughly one-minute clip, it cuts to footage of Barack and Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed onto what appear to be apes, as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays.
Because most of the video focuses on elections, it was not clear whether Trump watched the entire clip or noticed the content at the end before reposting it. Still, the post drew swift condemnation, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended it in a statement shared with Newsweek.
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” she said. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
The segment appears to come from a longer video posted by conservative meme creator Xerias in October, which depicts several prominent Democrats as animals — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker — while Trump is portrayed as a lion.
However, Trump’s Truth Social post included only the clip featuring the Obamas, prompting comparisons to racist caricatures that have historically portrayed Black people as apes or monkeys.
What People Are Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, on X: “Racist. Vile. Abhorrent. This is dangerous and degrades our country—where are Senate Republicans? The President must immediately delete the post and apologize to Barack and Michelle Obama, two great Americans who make Donald Trump look like a small, envious man.”
Republicans Against Trump, on X in response to Scott’s post: “‘Praying it was fake’? It’s still on Trump’s Truth Social more than 10 hours later, and the WH spokesperson confirmed it. What are you going to DO besides tweet?”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on X: “Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, on X: “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”
