A recent video posted to President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account has sparked outrage after it featured a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama.
The video, which is primarily about voting machines and election integrity, includes a highly offensive clip at the end where the faces of the Obamas are superimposed onto the bodies of apes, per the Guardian.
The footage lasts for one second and is accompanied by the song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' by The Tokens.
Controversial Video Surfaces Late Night on Truth Social
The video was shared on Truth Social just before midnight ET, drawing immediate backlash for its racist imagery.
The altered image of the Obamas, both of whom are prominent Democrats, carries a watermark @XERIAS_X, which links back to a Trump-supporting account on X (formerly Twitter), with around 46,000 followers.
It’s unclear if President Trump personally watched the entire video, especially since the bulk of the video focuses on claims regarding election voting machines.
Video Content and Context
The 62-second video appears to have originated from Patriot News Outlet, a website that claims Michigan officials accessed voting tabulators showing potential election interference, per Newsweek.
This comes amid Trump’s continued, though unfounded, claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump has repeatedly asserted that Joe Biden’s victory was the result of a rigged process.
While much of the video focuses on these election-related concerns, the racist image of the Obamas at the end has overshadowed its primary message.
The video’s intent and its inclusion of such offensive content are unclear, raising questions about whether Trump was aware of the specific imagery when he reposted it.
A History of Trump’s Criticism of Obama
This incident is not the first time Trump has targeted Obama. Throughout his presidency, Trump frequently criticized the former president.
In 2020, he accused Obama of "treason" following a report by Tulsi Gabbard, who alleged that Obama and members of his administration had fabricated intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Trump also shared an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting Obama being arrested and jailed.
In response to the allegations, Obama’s office dismissed them as "bizarre" and "ridiculous," calling it a weak attempt to distract from more pressing issues.
Additionally, a report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) revealed a surge in online death threats against Obama following these accusations.
A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, condemned all forms of violence and reaffirmed the administration’s stance against harmful rhetoric.
Trump's Longstanding Social Media Controversies
Trump’s use of social media has been widely scrutinized over the years.
In 2021, he was banned from both Facebook and Twitter (now X) following the January 6 Capitol riot, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building.
This ban led Trump to create his own platform, Truth Social.
While his accounts on Facebook and Twitter were eventually reinstated, his actions on these platforms, including sharing inflammatory and offensive content, have continued to spark controversy.
Reactions to the Racist Video
The video’s release quickly garnered criticism from political figures across the spectrum.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the post, calling it "disgusting behavior by the President" and urging Republicans to denounce it publicly.
Newsom wrote on X, "Every single Republican must denounce this. Now."
A statement from the account Republicans Against Trump echoed the sentiment, saying: "Trump just posted a video on Truth Social that includes a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. There’s no bottom."