Overview
- Speaking to reporters in Azerbaijan before boarding Air Force Two on Feb. 11, Vice President J.D. Vance called the episode "not a real controversy" and said the president should not apologize.
- The video was posted to the president's Truth Social account late Feb. 5 and was deleted about 12 hours later.
- Trump has said he viewed only the beginning of the clip, attributed the posting to a staffer, and stated he does not plan to apologize.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially labeled criticism "fake outrage," describing the image as a meme referencing The Lion King.
- The brief AI-style depiction appeared within a longer doctored video pushing unsubstantiated 2020 election-fraud claims, featuring Trump as a lion and the Pepe the Frog meme, and the portrayal drew widespread denunciations as racist, including from some Republicans.