Laura Ingraham asks Karoline Leavitt to clarify Trump's video on Obamas: 'How did this happen?'

WASHINGTON, DC: Fox News host Laura Ingraham questioned White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about an AI-generated video that briefly appeared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account and drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

The 62-second video, which was posted late Thursday, February 5, and deleted nearly 12 hours later, showed several Democratic figures using animal imagery. 

White House blames staffer for ‘racist’ video 

In the video, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were portrayed as apes, prompting backlash on social media and from lawmakers over racism. 

The White House said the post was shared by a staff member and that the video was taken down after concerns were raised.

Karoline Leavitt talks about Trump's controversial post

Leavitt addressed the matter during an appearance on 'The Ingraham Angle', where Ingraham asked how the video was posted and whether it was appropriate to attribute responsibility to a staffer.

“It was a meme posted by a staffer on the president’s Truth Social account,” Leavitt said. 

She described the video as drawing from a “Lion King” theme in which several Democratic figures were depicted as different animals, noting that former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared as a turtle.

Leavitt said Trump removed the post and spoke with lawmakers “out of respect for them.” She criticized media coverage of the incident, saying it diverted attention from positive economic news, including recent gains in the stock market.

Trump refuses to apologize about AI-generated meme video

Ingraham noted during the interview that criticism had also come from within Trump’s own party, citing Republican senators who suggested the president should apologize and acknowledge the post as a mistake.

“Why not?” Ingraham asked, referencing calls for an apology.

Leavitt said she would not speak for the president and indicated he may address the issue himself. “He did take down the post,” she said, adding that the controversy was being amplified by what she described as “fake news media.”

Later Friday, February 6, Trump told reporters that he had not watched the entire video and said he would not apologize for its posting.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” the president said.

The White House has not announced any disciplinary action related to the staffer involved.

Backlash from Republicans, Democrats

Sen Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate’s only Black Republican, criticized the video, calling it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House”.

“Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize,” Republican Sen Pete Ricketts said.

Another Republican, Rep Mike Lawler, also called on Trump to delete the post, calling it “incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake”.

Harris, a Democrat, wrote, "No one believes this cover up from the White House, especially since they originally defended the post. We are all clear-eyed about who Donald Trump is and what he believes."

“President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans. They represent the best of this country,” said Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives. “Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder. Why are GOP leaders like John Thune continuing to stand by this sick individual?”

Calls for accountability continue to grow.