US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump along with former US president Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama attend the funeral service for former US president George H. W. Bush at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC on December 5, 2018.
Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images
President Donald Trump shared a racist image overnight showing former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama portrayed as apes.
The depiction of the Obamas, posted late Thursday from Trump’s official Truth Social account, was included in a video clip pushing a conspiracy theory about voting machines during the 2020 election.
Asked for comment, the White House immediately responded in defense of Trump’s post.
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.
“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt’s reply included a link to a longer video posted Oct. 24 from a pro-Trump meme account on X.
In addition to showing the Obamas as apes, the full video shows other animals bearing the faces of prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Trump is depicted in that video as a lion. The song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens plays in the background.
The Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The post Trump shared immediately drew heated criticism.
“Disgusting behavior by the President,” Newsom’s press office said in an X post. “Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
