A video on U.S. President Donald Trump's social media showing Barack and Michelle Obama depicted as apes was deleted on Friday after widespread criticism.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, said a staffer had "erroneously made the post" and that it was removed.
The deletion came hours after White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt dismissed the negative reactions as "fake outrage."
Trump had posted a minute-long video late Thursday amplifying his false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud.
The clip included what appeared to be an AI-generated segment showing dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed.
The post drew immediate criticism from political figures, including Republican senator Tim Scott, who is Black.
"Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House," Scott said on X.
Republican representative Mike Lawler also said Trump should delete the post and apologise.
Before it was taken down, Leavitt said the video was "from an internet meme depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King."
The clip included music from the stage production. A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
Former Obama aide Ben Rhodes criticised the post on X. Civil rights groups also condemned the video, with NAACP president Derrick Johnson calling it "blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable" in an emailed statement.
Trump has previously shared posts criticised as racist, including false claims about Obama's birthplace and comments about Somalis and developing nations.
He was also criticised last year for sharing an edited image of Hakeem Jeffries depicting him with a handlebar moustache and a sombrero.
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