Donald Trump has triggered a wave of backlash after posting a video on Truth Social that depicts former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys. The video, shared overnight, quickly circulated online and prompted sharp reactions.
The clip (which you can see below) forms part of a longer video promoting false and repeatedly debunked claims about alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election, specifically targeting ballot-counting firm Dominion Voting Systems. Those allegations have been widely discredited and were central to a defamation case that ended in a $787.5m settlement between Dominion and Fox News in 2023.
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As you can see above, at the end of the video (which in total lasts 62 seconds), a brief segment shows the Obamas' faces superimposed onto monkeys dancing to music, a depiction many condemned as "incredibly racist". By Friday morning, the post had accumulated thousands of likes and reposts.
The incident came amid a flood of more than 60 posts published by Trump over a short period of three hours, ranging from renewed attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election to self-promotional content and symbolic gestures tied to his legacy, including suggestions to add his likeness to Mount Rushmore...