Obamas Ignore Ape Clip, Jeffries Suspects White House Cover-Up
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama broke her public silence for the first time since President Donald Trump faced backlash for sharing a racist, AI-generated video depicting them as monkeys. However, they made no reference to the controversy.
According to Newsweekthe Obamas instead used their social media platforms Friday night to express support for American athletes competing in the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, choosing not to join the uproar over the since-deleted video. Her decision came just hours after Trump removed the clip from his Truth Social account and later defended the post without offering an apology.
Barack Obama congratulated Team USA in a post on X, writing that he and Michelle were proud of the athletes' “talent and perseverance” and would cheer them on. Michelle Obama echoed that message, calling athletes' journeys to the world stage “inspirational” as they competed in Italy. The omission was notable as the video backlash dominated political conversation all week.
While the Obamas remained silent, Democratic leaders escalated their criticism, accusing the White House of trying to shield the president from accountability.
Harris: 'No one believes this cover-up'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris directly challenged the White House statement, accusing the administration of a cover-up after officials blamed a staffer for posting the video.
According to The HillHarris wrote on X that “no one believes this cover-up of the White House, especially since they originally defended the post,” adding that the incident only reinforced what the public already knows about Trump's beliefs.
The White House previously told The Hill that a staffer had “edited the post,” a claim that followed the first public defense of the video by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who described it as an “internet meme” related to The Lion King.
The explanation did little to silence criticism.
Jeffries calls video 'deliberate,' urges GOP leaders to act
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries went further, arguing that the video was posted on purpose and demanding that the Republican leadership denounce the president.
In an Instagram post and accompanying video quoted by The Hill, Jeffries called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson to take a stand, warning that continued silence was tantamount to complicity.
“This disgusting video, posted by the so-called president, was done on purpose,” Jeffries said, adding, “F— Donald Trump and his horrible, racist and evil behavior.” He praised the Obamas as “brilliant, caring and patriotic Americans” while labeling Trump a “serial fraudster.”
Jeffries also condemned Republican lawmakers who continued to support Trump, writing that “any Republican sycophant who continues to stand by their cult leader should be voted out of office.”
Bipartisan condemnation and the defense of Trump
Despite Jeffries' accusations, some Republicans joined Democrats in condemning the video. Senator Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate and a close Trump ally, described the image of the Obamas as “the most racist thing I've seen come out of this White House” and called for it to be removed. The post was deleted from Truth Social about two hours later.
Trump later confirmed aboard Air Force One that he spoke with Scott, claiming he had only seen the beginning of the video and thought “it was good.” He said he “obviously” condemned the offensive images but insisted he made no mistake in posting the video.
Other Republicans, including Representatives Mike Lawler and Brian Fitzpatrick, as well as Senators Susan Collins and Roger Wicker, also raised concerns.
Silence as a strategy
As criticism mounted, the Obamas' refusal to participate became its own statement. Journalist Ahmed Hussein noted on X that instead of “getting dragged into Trump's provocation,” Obama “chose value over distraction,” redirecting the moment to unity and leadership.
What is still unresolved is whether the employee responsible for posting the video will face disciplinary action. For now, the administration has not offered any further clarification.
