President Donald Trump Posts Racist AI Video of the Obamas, Sparking Outrage
President Donald Trump appears determined to provoke outrage from Black Americans — and if you’ve been watching, it’s not accidental.
Late Thursday, Feb. 5, Trump posted an AI-generated video to his Truth Social account that many are condemning as blatantly racist. The nearly minute-long clip opens with Trump once again pushing his debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election.
Midway through, the video abruptly cuts to an AI-created scene depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama portrayed as apes standing in a jungle while other apes fly overhead.
The imagery is impossible to separate from America’s long, ugly history of dehumanizing Black people — particularly by comparing them to primates.
Trump’s defenders rushed to downplay the backlash. The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism:
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” Leavitt said. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
The post arrives as protests continue across the country — demonstrations Trump has repeatedly characterized as chaotic, violent, or illegitimate. Some believe the Trump is attempting to incite a reaction from Black communities specifically, hoping civil unrest could justify calls for expanded executive power, including invoking the Insurrection Act.
As of Friday morning, Trump had not addressed the backlash directly and the Obamas have not yet responded.
