US President Trump Faces Sharp Criticism After Posting Video of Obama and Michelle on Truth Social
- Donald Trump faced sharp criticism after posting a video on Truth Social that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes
- The clip, shared just before midnight on February 5, 2026, quickly drew accusations of racism from political figures and social media users
- While the White House dismissed the outrage as overblown, prominent voices described the post as a damaging stain on America’s history
President Donald Trump faced widespread condemnation after posting a video on Truth Social on February 5, 2026, that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The clip, which lasted about a minute, began with claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election before cutting to the altered image of the Obamas.
Source: Getty Images
According to Guardian UK, video appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence, showing the couple’s faces superimposed on ape bodies in a jungle setting. The post, shared just before midnight, did not include any accompanying text.
Ben Rhodes calls Trump “a stain"
Ben Rhodes, who served as deputy national security adviser under Barack Obama, strongly criticised the post.
He described Trump as “a stain on our history” and added: “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.”
George Conway, the ex-husband of Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, reminded his followers that he had been calling out Trump’s racism since 2019. He linked to an opinion piece he wrote for the Washington Post titled Trump Is a Racist President.
White House dismisses criticism
The White House rejected claims that the video was racist. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the clip came from a meme portraying Trump as a lion and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public,” she said.
Despite the White House’s defence, many social media users denounced the portrayal as racist. The post remained visible for nearly eight hours and was followed by another video accusing the Democratic Party of being anti-Black.
Trump continued his posting spree, sharing more than 60 posts in three hours and resuming activity about an hour later.
Source: Getty Images
Michelle and Barack Obama address divorce rumours
Legit.ng earlier reported that former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle recently addressed the divorce rumours that have been swirling around the internet. On an episode of Craig Robinson's podcast, the couple jested about the public's speculations about their marriage.
Her husband, Barack, added that he's often oblivious to the rumours. This isn't the first time the Obamas have addressed the rumours.
Michelle previously mentioned on NPR's Wild Card podcast that the public wouldn't be aware of their every move, and the lack of visibility into their relationship sparks speculation. Barack and Michelle have been married since 1992 and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
