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A recent post by Donald Trump on Truth Social has ignited widespread backlash after a video shared on his account included a brief image depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed onto monkeys.
The clip, which ran for about one minute, centered on renewed claims that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” through alleged interference by Dominion Voting Systems — assertions that have been repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials. Near the end of the video, for approximately two seconds, the Obamas’ faces appeared on animated monkeys moving to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”The imagery quickly triggered condemnation from political figures, commentators, and social media users, many describing it as racist and inappropriate for a sitting president to share.
The press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a strongly worded response, calling it “disgusting behavior by the President” and urging Republican lawmakers to denounce the post. Political strategist Adam Parkhomenko described the imagery as “overt racism,” arguing that there was no reasonable alternative interpretation.
Social media reaction was swift and polarized. Some users expressed anger and disappointment, with one stating they regretted voting for Trump. Others defended him, dismissing criticism as exaggerated and reiterating claims about election integrity.
