Overview
- The post went up late Feb. 5 and was removed about 12 hours later on Feb. 6 following widespread criticism.
- The clip resembled a 'Lion King' parody that mapped Barack and Michelle Obama onto ape figures and portrayed other Democrats as animals bowing to a lion resembling Trump.
- Press secretary Andrew Levitt initially defended the post before the White House said a staffer had uploaded it by mistake, with CNN and the New York Times noting the account is run by the president and a small group of aides.
- Trump told reporters he viewed only the opening portion before sharing the video and refused to apologize.
- Democrats and prominent Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott, denounced the racist imagery, and Axios reported the video likely originated as AI‑generated content from pro‑MAGA social accounts.