President Donald Trump on Friday removed a video from his Truth Social account that included a racist clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, following intense criticism from Democrats, Republicans and civil rights leaders. Trump declined to apologize, insisting he had not viewed the full video before it was posted and blaming a staff member for the error.

The roughly 62-second video, shared late Thursday night, promoted long-debunked claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. At its conclusion, the footage abruptly shifted to a brief animated segment — apparently AI-generated — showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed onto cartoon apes dancing in a jungle setting. The clip played over the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens. The segment lasted only a few seconds before the video ended.

The post remained visible for nearly 12 hours before being deleted around midday Friday, as outrage mounted. White House officials initially defended the share, describing it as part of an “internet meme” portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” with various Democrats depicted as animals from “The Lion King.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an early statement that the content highlighted Trump’s dominance in politics.

Bipartisan condemnation came swiftly. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only Black Republican in the Senate, called the depiction “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” He urged Trump to remove the post and issue an apology, emphasizing that such imagery perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

Other Republicans, including Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., labeled the content “unacceptable” and “racist,” calling for its immediate removal. Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Cory Booker, condemned the video as a continuation of dehumanizing rhetoric directed at the nation’s first Black president and first lady.

Civil rights organizations were among the most vocal critics. The NAACP described the imagery as invoking “centuries-old racist tropes used to dehumanize Black people,” tracing the comparison of Black individuals to apes or monkeys back to the era of slavery and segregation. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted that such depictions have historically served to justify discrimination and violence.

The Obamas did not immediately comment publicly. Representatives for the former president and first lady said they were aware of the incident but declined further statement at this time.

Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon outside the White House, Trump addressed the controversy directly. Asked if he would apologize, he replied, “No, I didn’t make a mistake.” He added that he had only seen the beginning of the video before it was posted by a staffer and was unaware of the offensive ending. “It was fine until that part,” he said, referring to the main election-related content.

Trump condemned the racist clip itself when pressed further, saying, “Of course I do,” but maintained that the error lay with the staff member responsible for the post. A White House official later confirmed the video was “erroneously” shared and had been taken down.

The incident occurred during the first week of Black History Month, amplifying criticism that the imagery was particularly insensitive. Historians and scholars have long documented how portrayals of Black people as primates were weaponized during the Jim Crow era and earlier to deny humanity and justify oppression.

The video appeared to originate from a longer meme shared on X (formerly Twitter) in October by a conservative account. That original clip depicted several prominent Democrats — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others — as various animals, with Trump as a lion receiving bows from the group. Trump shared only the portion featuring the Obamas as apes.

Social media experts noted that Truth Social, Trump’s platform, has fewer content moderation controls than mainstream sites, allowing such material to spread quickly among his followers before wider scrutiny. The post garnered significant engagement before deletion, with thousands of reposts and comments.

The episode marks a rare instance of the Trump White House walking back a social media share. Previous controversies involving Trump’s posts have typically been defended or ignored rather than removed. The deletion followed pressure from within his own party, highlighting the political risk of the content amid efforts to broaden appeal.

Public reaction was swift on social media and in traditional outlets. Clips of news coverage circulated widely, with commentators from across the spectrum decrying the imagery. Some supporters dismissed the backlash as overreaction to a “meme,” while others expressed disappointment.

The timing coincides with ongoing political tensions between Trump and Obama, who has criticized the current administration on issues ranging from democracy to foreign policy. Obama has remained active in public life through his foundation and occasional speeches.

White House aides said internal reviews would be conducted to prevent similar incidents. No disciplinary action against the staffer was announced.

The controversy overshadowed other developments in the administration’s early days, including policy announcements and international engagements. It also renewed discussions about the role of social media in amplifying divisive content and the responsibilities of public figures in vetting shared material.

As of Saturday morning, no further statements had come from Trump or the White House on the matter. The deleted post’s link now redirects to a generic Truth Social page.

The incident underscores persistent racial sensitivities in American politics, particularly around depictions of Black leaders. For many observers, it served as a reminder of how historical tropes can resurface in modern digital contexts, even at the highest levels of government.