US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend the funeral of former US President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC on December 5, 2018.
Mandel Gunn | AFP | Getty Images
Overnight, President Donald Trump shared a racist image depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The depiction of the Obamas, posted late Thursday from President Trump’s official Truth social account, was included in a video clip alleging conspiracy theories about voting machines during the 2020 election.
The White House defended Trump’s post when asked for comment Friday morning, but the Republican Party’s only black senator called on Trump to remove the post.
“This is from an Internet meme video that depicts President Trump as the king of the jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King,” spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.
“I want you to stop making false accusations and start reporting on the things that actually matter to the American people today,” Levitt said.
Leavitt’s reply included a link to a lengthy video posted on Oct. 24 from X’s pro-Trump meme account.
In addition to showing the Obamas as monkeys, the full video also shows other animals bearing the faces of prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The video depicts Trump as a lion. The Tokens song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays in the background.
The Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who is Black and a close Trump ally, slammed the image.
“I hope it’s fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen in this White House,” Scott wrote in a post to X.
“The President should remove it,” Scott wrote.
Democratic elected officials quickly called on other Republicans to condemn the post.
“President Obama and Michelle Obama are intelligent, caring, and patriotic Americans,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to X. “They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged, malignant bottom feeder.”
“Why do Republican leaders like John Thune continue to stand by this sick man? All Republicans must immediately denounce Donald Trump’s disgusting bigotry,” Jeffries wrote, referring to the Senate Majority Leader.
“This is a disgusting act by the president. All Republicans must condemn this. Now.” Newsom’s news office said in a post on X.
“This kind of Jim Crow-style dehumanization is pathetic and a disgrace to members of Congress,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said in his post about X.
