WASHINGTON — A social media post shared by President Donald Trump depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates was deleted Friday following widespread bipartisan backlash, including criticism from civil rights leaders and senior Republican lawmakers.
The post, which appeared Thursday night on Trump’s Truth Social account, drew swift condemnation for its racist imagery, particularly as it targeted the nation’s first Black president and first lady. The White House initially defended the post, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing criticism as “fake outrage,” before later acknowledging that the content had been posted in error by a staff member.
By Friday afternoon, the post had been taken down. The White House described the deletion as a corrective step and said the staffer responsible acted without proper authorization, a rare admission of error from the administration.
The now-deleted post was part of a broader series of overnight messages amplifying false claims that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen, assertions repeatedly rejected by courts and by Trump’s own former attorney general due to lack of evidence.
Nearly all of the 62-second video reposted by Trump originated from a conservative clip alleging election manipulation in battleground states. A brief segment near the end showed jungle primates with the Obamas’ faces digitally imposed — imagery traced to a previously circulated political meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democratic leaders as animals.
“This is from an internet meme video,” Leavitt said in a text message, urging media outlets to “stop the fake outrage.” However, the explanation did little to quell criticism, particularly as the post appeared during the first week of Black History Month, shortly after Trump issued a proclamation praising Black Americans’ contributions to the nation.
An Obama spokesperson said the former president had no comment.
The incident raised renewed questions about oversight and control of Trump’s social media accounts, which the president has used to announce policy positions, threaten military action, and attack political rivals. The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries about how posts are reviewed or how the public can distinguish posts written personally by the president.
Condemnation came from across the political spectrum. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, called for the post’s removal, describing it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi also called the post “totally unacceptable” and said the president should apologize.
Mark Burns, a Black pastor and prominent Trump supporter, said he spoke directly with the president and urged him to fire the staffer responsible and publicly denounce the content. “He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable,” Burns wrote on X.
Democratic leaders were more blunt. Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York rejected the White House’s explanation, saying the incident reflected a broader “toxic and racist climate” within the administration.
Civil rights groups also weighed in. NAACP President Derrick Johnson described the video as “utterly despicable,” linking the controversy to what he said were efforts to distract from economic concerns and renewed scrutiny surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Public reaction extended beyond Washington. In Harlem, New York, vendor Jacklyn Monk said the post was “horrible” regardless of timing, while in Atlanta, Rev. Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., reminded Americans that Black people “are not apes,” quoting her father’s words affirming Black dignity and pride.
Historians and advocates noted that the imagery echoed a long and documented history of racist portrayals associating Black Americans with animals, a practice rooted in centuries-old pseudoscience and used to justify slavery, segregation, and discrimination.
Trump has long faced criticism for racially charged rhetoric, including promoting the false “birther” conspiracy questioning Obama’s citizenship, derogatory remarks about majority-Black nations, and campaign language likened by critics to historical dehumanization narratives.
As of late Friday, the White House had not issued a formal apology, despite mounting calls from lawmakers in both parties and civil rights organizations.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
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