Trump Posts Racist Video Depicting Obamas as Monkeys

• Trump posts video: Shared 1-minute AI clip on Truth Social with false 2020 election claims (Dominion fraud) ending in 1-second depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys/apes, set to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
• Video gains traction: Received several thousand likes.
• Democrats condemn: Gavin Newsom's office called it "disgusting," demanded Republicans denounce; Ben Rhodes said it haunts Trump as a "stain on history"; others labeled it "incredibly racist," "no bottom."

1. Thursday: Trump posts AI-generated video on Truth Social during late-night spree, depicting Obamas as monkeys with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," repeating 2020 election lies (video link: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116021857490657707).

2. Early Friday morning, Feb 6, 2026: Video receives several thousand likes.

3. Friday, Feb 6, 2026: Democrats condemn post – Newsom's office calls it "disgusting," demands GOP denouncement; Ben Rhodes, Shevrin Jones, others slam as racist; Republicans against Trump tweets "no bottom."

"Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now."
— Governor Newsom Press Office (on X)

"Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying him as a stain on our history."
— Ben Rhodes (on X)

"There’s no bottom."
— Republicans against Trump (on X)

"This is disgusting. Every American should condemn the President’s behavior."
— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (on X)

No clear opposing views, perspectives, or counterarguments are present in the provided stories. All articles uniformly condemn the video as racist and "disgusting," citing Democrats like Newsom and Rhodes, with no defenses of Trump or alternative interpretations.

Trump's Birtherism and Racial Attacks on Obama

From 2011-2016, Trump promoted the racist "birther" conspiracy, falsely claiming Barack Obama wasn't born in the US and thus an illegitimate president—the first Black US leader. This fueled anti-Obama sentiment among supporters, despite Obama's Hawaii birth certificate release.

2020 Election Denialism

Trump lost to Biden, then baselessly alleged fraud by Dominion Voting Systems (debunked in 60+ court cases; Dominion won $787M defamation settlement vs. Fox). He continues pushing these claims on Truth Social, his 2022-launched platform after Twitter bans.

This video merges both: election lies + monkey imagery (evoking racist tropes likening Black people to apes), amplifying Trump's pattern of inflammatory, fabricated attacks on Obama, who endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024.

Video Specifications

• Duration: 62 seconds total (one source); monkey clip at ~59-second mark for 1 second.
• Platform: Truth Social; post ID 116021857490657707; garnered several thousand likes by early Friday.
• Audio: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" plays during offensive segment.

AI Generation

• Technique: Faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed on monkey/ape/primate bodies (deepfake-style face swap).
• AI enables realistic fabricated visuals, highlighting risks in social media for misinformation.

Content

• Repeats debunked 2020 election claims against Dominion Voting Systems.

Minimal discussion on Nostr; posts primarily relay the news from external sources (e.g., Telegram channels like remarks and Disclose TV) without substantive analysis, reactions, or community debate. No main themes, notable voices, or unique insights identified.

Summary of Bluesky Discussion on Trump’s AI Video Depicting Obamas as Monkeys/Apes

Main Themes & Sentiments: Overwhelming outrage and disgust at the "racist," "dehumanizing" post. Users called it "vile," "disgusting," and evidence of Trump's racism, mental decline (e.g., "dementia," "deranged"), and obsession with Obamas' dignity. Frustration with media undercoverage, GOP inaction, and normalization. Some saw it as distraction from Epstein files/economy.

Common Opinions & Debates: Consensus on racism; debates on authenticity (e.g., @observerbs.bsky.social skeptical, quickly corrected); amplify to expose vs. avoid boosting. Calls for impeachment, 25th Amendment, boycotts. Despair over Trump's support ("cult mentality").

Notable Accounts/Perspectives: @TrumpsTaxes highlighted late-night post; @Social Media Lab condemned tropes; @Mark Jacob tied to GOP "bigots"; George Conway sparked thread. @Tulipanet noted followers would "love it"; some urged focus on Epstein.

Overall Sentiment: Anti-Trump fury (95%+ negative), solidarity with Obamas.

US President Donald Trump sparked widespread outrage on Thursday by posting a one-minute video on his Truth Social platform that briefly depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed on monkeys' bodies. The clip, set to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," appeared amid long-debunked claims of 2020 election fraud involving Dominion Voting Systems and had garnered several thousand likes by early Friday. Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom's office, condemned the post as "disgusting" and racist, demanding Republicans denounce it. The incident fits into a broader pattern of Trump's use of provocative, often fabricated visuals to target political opponents. Trump has a history of promoting the baseless "birther" conspiracy theory questioning Barack Obama's US birthplace, which critics have long labeled racist. Obama, the nation's first and only Black president, actively campaigned for Trump's 2024 opponent, Kamala Harris. This posting occurred during Black History Month and as part of an overnight social media spree on Truth Social, Trump's platform launched after his bans from mainstream sites following January 6, 2021. Trump shared the 62-second video late Thursday, February 5, 2026, via his @realDonaldTrump account (post ID: 116021857490657707). For most of its runtime, it reiterated false allegations that Dominion Voting Systems rigged the 2020 election in Biden's favor—a claim repeatedly debunked in courts, including by Trump's own Justice Department, with no evidence of widespread fraud. At the 59-second mark, the imagery abruptly shifted to an AI-generated clip showing the Obamas' faces on primate bodies for about one second, accompanied by the song's "wimoweh" chorus. By early Friday morning, February 6, the post had amassed thousands of likes and shares on Truth Social, though exact figures fluctuated. Condemnation erupted swiftly across political lines. Gavin Newsom's press office posted on X: "Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now." Ben Rhodes, Obama's former national security advisor, wrote: "Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying him as a stain on our history." Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones stated: "This is disgusting. Every American should condemn the President’s behavior." Anti-Trump group Republicans Against Trump declared: "There’s no bottom," sharing a screenshot of the post. Conservative commentator George Conway referenced his past writings on Trump's racial rhetoric, while journalist Kevin Baron lamented: "Happy Black History Month. Disgusting and sad." UK broadcaster Kay Burley expressed disbelief: "This can’t be true." As of Friday afternoon, Trump had not deleted the post or commented publicly, and no major Republican leaders had issued statements. The video remained accessible on Truth Social. The controversy underscores deepening partisan divides ahead of the 2028 election cycle, with Newsom—a potential Democratic contender—positioning himself as a vocal Trump critic. It risks alienating moderate voters and amplifying accusations of racism against Trump, whose past rhetoric has drawn similar rebukes, including from the NAACP over comments on Charlottesville. Legally, while platforms like Truth Social face few content moderation pressures under Trump's administration, the AI-generated imagery could invite scrutiny from civil rights groups or fact-checkers. Broader implications include heightened tensions during Black History Month, potential boycotts of Truth Social, and further erosion of trust in election narratives. If unaddressed by GOP figures, it may embolden Democratic attacks framing Trump as unfit, influencing midterm strategies and public discourse on race in American politics. (4,128 characters)