U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned but refused to apologise for a racist video briefly posted to his Truth Social account, insisting he had “not made a mistake” and blaming a staff member for uploading the content.
The video showed former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama depicted as apes in what appeared to be an AI-generated segment.
The clip, which included music associated with The Lion King, appeared at the end of a longer video amplifying Trump’s false claims that his defeat in the 2020 election was the result of fraud.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a staff member had “erroneously made the post” and that it was later removed. The deletion came hours after White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage”.
Trump later condemned the imagery but again refused to apologise, saying the offensive segment was not reviewed before the post went live and was taken down once identified. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said the staff member responsible had not noticed the material.
The post drew immediate criticism from across the political spectrum. Republican Senator Tim Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, wrote on X: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
Republican Representative Mike Lawler also said Trump should delete the post and apologise.
Before the video was taken down, Leavitt said it was “from an internet meme depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King”.
A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
Former Obama aide Ben Rhodes criticised the post, while civil rights groups also condemned the video. NAACP president Derrick Johnson described it as “blatantly racist, disgusting and utterly despicable”.
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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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
Daniel Siad, a modelling scout whose name appeared in documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French prosecutors said. He was 69.
ASEAN foreign ministers opened the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on 21 July, launching four days of talks that run until 24 July. The agenda includes South China Sea tensions, Myanmar’s conflict and growing U.S.-China rivalry.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has renewed calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East while she warned that the humanitarian situation had become "quite grave". Anand also raised concern over tensions in the South China Sea.
Pakistan has asked the U.S. for a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility, according to a source briefed on the matter. If approved, the funding would bolster the country's foreign exchange reserves and provide a major boost to its cash-strapped economy.
A satirical online campaign has become one of the largest youth-led protest movements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, fuelled by anger over exam failures, unemployment and concerns about India’s education system.
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