"Trump Deletes 'Disgusting' AI Ape Video of Obamas After Backlash—White House Blames Junior Staffer in Rare Retreat"
In a stunning and rare reversal, Donald Trump has deleted a deeply offensive video from his official social media account that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes—a post that sparked immediate outrage across the political spectrum and forced even senior Republicans to condemn the racist imagery.
The clip, shared late Tuesday night on Truth Social, initially focused on Trump’s familiar claims of 2020 election fraud. But it ended with a shocking AI-generated segment: the former president and first lady’s faces digitally grafted onto cartoonish ape bodies, dancing to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”—a song long weaponized in racist caricatures targeting Black people.
Within hours, the post drew fierce condemnation from civil rights groups, bipartisan lawmakers, and even longtime Trump allies, who called the imagery “abhorrent,” “unpresidential,” and “a disgrace to the office.”
White House Throws Staffer "Under the Bus"
Facing mounting pressure, Trump’s team executed a swift—and telling—damage control maneuver. Within 12 hours, the post was removed, and a White House spokesperson issued a statement attempting to distance the former president from the content:
“This post was uploaded by a junior staffer without proper review. It does not reflect the views of President Trump or this administration. The individual has been reprimanded.”
The move—a classic Washington deflection tactic—drew skepticism from observers. Critics noted that Trump personally curates much of his social media content and has a history of amplifying racially charged material. Moreover, the video remained live for over five hours, during which Trump engaged with other posts, suggesting he was aware of its presence.
“This isn’t some rogue intern,” said Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. “This is a deliberate dog whistle wrapped in AI slurs. And now they’re sacrificing a staffer to save face.”
Bipartisan Condemnation
Even staunch Trump supporters expressed discomfort. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the video “indefensible,” while former GOP strategist Bill Kristol tweeted: “There’s no defending this. None.”
Civil rights leaders were unequivocal.
“Comparing Black people to primates is one of the oldest, most dehumanizing tropes in white supremacy,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “For a former president to share this—even ‘by accident’—is a moral failure.”
Michelle Obama’s office declined to comment, but sources close to the former first family described her as “deeply hurt and angered.”
A Pattern of Provocation?
This incident fits a troubling pattern. During his presidency and beyond, Trump has repeatedly used dehumanizing language about minorities—from calling Mexican immigrants “animals” to referring to African nations as “shithole countries.” The use of AI to generate racist content marks a dangerous new frontier in online hate—one where plausible deniability (“It was just a meme!”) masks malicious intent.
Experts warn that such content normalizes bigotry under the guise of “satire” or “political commentary.”
The Bigger Picture
While Trump’s camp insists this was an isolated error, the backlash underscores a growing fatigue—even within conservative circles—with his inflammatory rhetoric. With the 2024 election looming, the episode raises questions about whether such tactics still resonate with voters… or whether they’ve become a liability.
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