Trump Deletes Racist Post Targeting Obamas After Bipartisan Backlash

US President Donald Trump on Friday deleted a social media post that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as jungle primates, following widespread condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats.

The video, posted late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, sparked outrage from civil rights groups, lawmakers, and members of his own party, who described it as racist and offensive. The White House later said the post had been shared “erroneously” by a staff member and blamed the incident on an internal mistake.

The deletion came hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism as “fake outrage.” However, mounting pressure — including from senior Republicans — forced the administration to remove the content.

The post appeared amid a series of late-night messages in which Trump repeated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, despite multiple court rulings and official investigations finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

The controversial clip largely originated from a conservative video alleging election tampering. Near the end, it briefly showed two primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed. The footage had previously circulated among online political meme creators.

Leavitt described it as part of an “Internet meme” portraying Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as animals. Critics noted that the imagery echoed long-standing racist stereotypes.

The post appeared during Black History Month, days after Trump issued a proclamation praising the contributions of Black Americans. An Obama spokesperson said the former president had no comment.

Questions Over White House Oversight

The incident raised fresh questions about how Trump’s social media accounts are managed. The president frequently uses the platform to announce policies, threaten military action, and criticize rivals. The White House has not clarified how posts are reviewed or how users can distinguish between Trump’s own messages and those made by staff.

Mark Burns, a prominent Black Trump supporter, said he urged the president to dismiss the staff member responsible and publicly condemn the post. “He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable,” Burns wrote.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke rejected the administration’s explanation, saying the episode reflected a “toxic and racist climate” within the White House.

Bipartisan Condemnation

Condemnation came from across the political spectrum. Senator Tim Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, called the post “the most racist thing” he had seen from the White House and urged its removal. Senator Roger Wicker also labeled it “totally unacceptable” and called for an apology.

Civil rights leaders, including NAACP President Derrick Johnson, described the video as “utterly despicable.” In Harlem and Atlanta, community leaders and residents expressed anger and embarrassment over the incident.

Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., said Black Americans “are not apes” and condemned the dehumanizing imagery.

A History of Racial Controversy

Critics noted that the post fits into a long history of racist portrayals of Black Americans in the United States, dating back centuries. Such imagery has been used to justify discrimination, segregation, and violence.

Trump has previously faced criticism for racially charged remarks, including promoting false claims about Obama’s birthplace, referring to some developing nations as “shithole countries,” and using language about immigrants that echoed extremist rhetoric.

Despite frequent claims by Trump allies that such content is meant as humor, this incident prompted rare public criticism from within his own party. By late Friday, no formal apology had been issued.