President Trump faces backlash after posting an AI-generated video depicting Obamas as monkeys, then refusing to apologize despite criticism.
Racist Recording Sparks Public Outcry
A controversial video appeared on Donald Trump’s Truth Social account on Thursday, February 5. The AI-generated clip depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. The recording was removed approximately 12 hours later, during Black History Month. Critics noted that the content targeted the first Black U.S. president and his wife.
Trump Defends Posting
When asked on Friday if he would apologize, Trump responded, “No, I did not make a mistake.” He claimed he had only seen the beginning of the video and was unaware of its content, calling the post “very strong from a standpoint of election fraud.” The president explained, “I looked at the beginning. It was fine. No one knew what was at the end.” Trump added that if someone had reviewed the video before publishing, “they would have had enough sense not to do it.” He also claimed to be “the least racist president in a very long time,” having previously said he is “the least racist person in the world.”
White House Chaos and Republican Pressure
Axios sources report the posting caused significant turmoil in the White House. Some officials defended the president, while others received calls from Republican politicians demanding the immediate removal of the video. Initially, the White House dismissed criticism as “fake outrage,” with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt describing it as an “internet meme” showing Trump as “king of the jungle” and Democrats as characters from “The Lion King” (which notably lacks primate characters). The administration did not explain why the video was removed after hours of defending the post.
Strong Reactions from Political Figures
Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the publication “the most racist thing I’ve seen from this White House.” Trump claims, however, that Scott “fully understood the situation” after their conversation. NAACP chairman Derrick Johnson was more critical, stating, “Donald Trump’s video is overtly racist, disgusting, and absolutely indefensible.” The Obama Foundation has not commented, and Barack and Michelle Obama have not addressed the recording.
