Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement in response to backlash against the US president

Warning: This article contains discussion of racial discrimination which some readers may find distressing.

The White House has issued a statement in defence of the president Donald Trump, after he shared a ‘racist’ video depicting former president Barack Obama and wife Michelle as monkeys.

The minute-long clip in question was shared by the Republican leader on Truth Social on 6 February, repeating a number of age-old false allegations, including that Democrats used Dominion Voting Systems to swing the 2020 presidential election in favour of Joe Biden.

Towards the end of the video, a seemingly AI-generated image suddenly emerges, showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed onto the bodies of monkeys. In the background, the track ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ plays.

Unsurprisingly, the clip was quick to garner mass criticism from across the globe, slamming Trump, 79, as both ‘disgusting’ and ‘racist’.

“Trump posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys,” one X user hit out. “Incredibly racist and disgusting. Beneath the office of the presidency, like everything he does. Every American must condemn this.”

“What a disgraceful administration,” another wrote, whilst a third added: “This is so racist wtf is wrong with him.

Responding to the backlash, Karoline Leavitt – Trump’s press secretary – has attempting to justify the politician’s post.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King,” she told Tyla.

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

It wasn’t just social media users who have took aim at Trump’s latest online upload, however, but several politicians.

Amongst them was Gavin Newsom – California’s governor and one of Trump’s most outspoken political opponents – to wrote: “Disgusting behaviour by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.”

Ex-Deputy National Security adviser Ben Rhodes also hit out: “Let it haunt Trump and his racist followers that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying him as a stain on our history.”