Trump posts racist image of Obamas, White House defends it and slams ‘fake outrage’

President Donald Trump shared a racist photo depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.

The Obamas’ depiction, posted on Trump’s official Truth Social account late Thursday, was included in a video clip pushing the conspiracy theory about voting machines during the 2020 election.

The White House defended Trump’s post when asked for comment Friday morning, but the lone Black Republican senator called for Trump to remove it.

“This is taken from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and the Democrats as characters from The Lion King,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement. he said.

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something that really matters to the American people today,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt’s response included a link to a longer video posted on October 24 from a pro-Trump meme account on X.

In addition to depicting the Obamas as monkeys, the full video also features other animals bearing the faces of prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Trump is depicted as a lion in this video. The song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens plays in the background.

The Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is black and a close Trump ally, blasted the image.

“I’m praying it’s fake because this is the most racist thing I’ve ever seen in the White House,” Scott said. Publish on X.

“The President should repeal this,” Scott wrote.

Democratic elected officials quickly called on other Republicans to condemn the mandate.

“President Obama and Michelle Obama are intelligent, compassionate and patriotic Americans,” Jeffries wrote to X. “They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a despicable, unstable and malevolent bottom feeder.”

“Why do GOP leaders like John Thune continue to side with this sick individual? Every single Republican should immediately condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting bigotry,” Jeffries wrote, referring to the Senate majority leader.

Newsom’s press office said in a post on X: “Disgusting behavior by the President. Every Republican should condemn this. Now.”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., in his own post X“This kind of Jim Crow-style dehumanization is pathetic and an embarrassment to the office,” he said.