Backlash Over Election-Conspiracy Video Shared by Trump

Washington — On Friday, the White House took down an election-conspiracy video shared by President Trump on social media, which contained racially insensitive depictions of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. A White House official mentioned that the post was made “erroneously” by a staffer and has since been removed.

The video, which stirred significant unrest among both Democrats and Republicans, was labeled “racist,” “offensive,” and “unacceptable.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained earlier that the content was an “internet meme video” portraying the president as the “King of the Jungle,” with Democrats as characters from The Lion King. She urged the press to focus on more pressing issues affecting Americans.

Shared on President Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday night, the video, lasting just over a minute, included false claims about the 2020 presidential election being rigged. Near the video’s conclusion was a brief segment featuring the Obamas’ heads edited onto primates’ bodies, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The video link is now defunct with a “not found” page message.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump mentioned that he only watched the initial part of the video, missing the section involving the Obamas. “I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it,” he remarked.

While initially spread last October on X by user @xerias_x, the AI-generated video depicted several Democrats as various animals. Besides the Obamas, the video portrayed Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris as different animals.

Denouncement from Lawmakers

The shared footage quickly drew criticism from lawmakers across party lines. Many Republicans urged the president to take down the post and issue an apology. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott expressed his outrage on social media, calling the content the “most racist thing” he’s observed from the White House, urging its removal.

New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler also called for Mr. Trump to delete the post, describing it as “incredibly offensive” and warranting an apology. Other GOP senators, such as Mississippi’s Roger Wicker and Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, condemned the video as “totally unacceptable” and criticized the racist undertones in the content.

Senator John Curtis from Utah remarked on the racist nature of the post, asserting it should have never been published. Democratic leaders, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom, joined the chorus of disapproval, labeling the behavior of the president as “disgusting” and calling on Republicans to denounce the incident.

Unsubstantiated Election Claims

Despite conclusive evidence, President Trump continues to claim widespread fraud occurred in the 2020 presidential election, contesting Joe Biden’s victory. Numerous lawsuits filed by Trump’s campaign aimed at overturning results in pivotal states were dismissed by federal courts. Former Attorney General Bill Barr underlined that no evidence of voter fraud was uncovered by the Justice Department that could have overturned the election outcome.

The video in question included baseless allegations against Dominion Voting Systems, central to defamation lawsuits instigated by the voting technology company against media outlets like Fox News and Newsmax. Both networks later settled these legal battles with substantial financial agreements.

Rudy Giuliani, a frequent promoter of fallacies surrounding the 2020 election, also faced legal action from Dominion, concluding with a confidential settlement. Former Special Counsel Jack Smith revealed that Giuliani later rescinded numerous public assertions regarding the election’s integrity in discussions with his teams.

After successfully winning a second presidential term in November 2024, further legal actions against Mr. Trump, spearheaded by Jack Smith concerning the alleged efforts to interfere with the 2020 election results, were concluded without any charges.