The video published on Thursday evening, dedicated to the 2020 elections, portrayed the Obamas in an offensive light, which sparked negative reactions from viewers and the media.
Republican Senator Tim Scott, the only Black senator in Congress, called on Trump to remove the video. “I hope this is not true, as this is the most racist thing I have ever seen from the White House. The President must take this down,” the senator wrote on platform X.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also reacted, urging Republicans to condemn Trump’s “disgusting behavior.”
In response to accusations of racism, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt noted that the video is part of a broader context where Trump is portrayed as the “king of the jungle,” and Democrats as characters from “The Lion King.” “Don’t fall for this false narrative,” she added.
Criticism also came from California Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic Congressman Herb Konoeya. Ben Rhodes, a former national security advisor, wrote: “Let Trump and his supporters live with the thought that future generations will see the Obama couple as beloved, and him as a disgrace in our history.”
After mounting criticism, Trump removed the video from his post.
“It was a mistake by a White House staffer, and the post has been taken down,” commented an unnamed official in an interview with CNN.
