White House takes down Trump’s animated AI video about Obamas after backlash

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump faced widespread criticism after posting an AI-generated video on his Truth Social account that mocked former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Shared late Thursday, February 5, the roughly one-minute clip included their faces imposed on ape bodies in a cartoon-style animation, appearing briefly as the song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' played.

By Friday, February 6, the White House confirmed the post had been removed. Officials told reporters that a “staffer erroneously made the post,” though Trump himself has not publicly addressed the controversy at the time of writing this article.

White House removes controversial AI video targeting the Obamas 

The removal came after the video drew sharp criticism online, with many condemning its content as racially insensitive.

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the clip, describing it as part of a “meme video depicting Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King.”

Leavitt added, “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public."

The meme was originally posted in October by the Hardin County Republican Party of Kentucky on Facebook.

Its appearance in Trump’s video reignited debate due to the racist history of comparing Black people to apes, drawing attention from political leaders nationwide, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate Republicans Tim Scott and Roger Wicker, and House Democrats Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer.

What Trump’s AI video showed

The short video primarily repeated debunked claims about the 2020 election, including accusations against Dominion Voting Systems.

Toward the end, it depicted Barack and Michelle Obama with their faces edited onto monkey bodies for a brief moment before returning to election-related visuals.

The broader animation featured several elected officials from both parties as Lion King-style characters, positioning Trump as the lion and “king of the jungle.”

The AI-generated clip quickly went viral online before being taken down by White House staff.

The controversy highlights ongoing concerns about AI content being used to spread politically charged imagery and the rapid amplification of online memes in US politics.