US President Donald Trump is facing bipartisan condemnation after a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes was posted to his Truth Social account. The incident has intensified scrutiny over the president’s use of social media and drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum.
The AI-generated video appeared on Trump’s account on Thursday evening and remained accessible for approximately 12 hours before being removed. It was originally created by a pro-Trump meme account. While the specific origin within Trump’s operation remains unclear, a White House official later stated that a staffer “erroneously made the post.”
The video’s content was widely condemned as deeply offensive and racist. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) directly accused Trump of deliberate action, stating in an Instagram video, “F*** Donald Trump and his vile, racist and malignant behavior.” Republican Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” while Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) termed it “a grave failure of judgment” and demanded a clear apology.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed the widespread criticism as “fake outrage” on Friday morning. Later, the administration shifted to a narrative of an unauthorized staff error.
When questioned aboard Air Force One, President Trump distanced himself from the post. He declined to apologize, stating, “No, I didn’t make a mistake.” He added that he had not seen the offensive portion of the video and said, “Of course I do” when asked if he condemned its content. Trump suggested that others should have identified and removed the video sooner.
The incident has reignited debate over the boundaries of political discourse and the responsibility of public figures for content shared on their official platforms. While the White House characterized the post as an error, multiple members of Congress, including Republicans, argued that such content has no place in public communication and reflects a failure of leadership. The swift and strong reaction from both Democrats and Republicans underscores the cross-party consensus that the video’s portrayal was unacceptable.
The episode highlights the persistent challenges of social media moderation at the highest levels of government and the potential for AI-generated content to fuel divisive narratives. Calls for accountability and an apology from the president continue, setting the stage for further political fallout.
