Why did Trump’s AI-generated video depicting the Obamas as apes spark bipartisan outrage and what does it reveal about the rising threat of deepfakes in politics?
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| The removal of a racist AI-generated video from Trump’s social media account highlights how low-cost deepfakes are reshaping political attacks and testing the limits of platform accountability. Image: CH |
NEW YORK, United States — February 7, 2026:
The removal of an AI-generated video from former President Donald Trump’s social media account has intensified fears about the weaponization of deepfake technology in American politics. The clip, which portrayed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, was taken down after roughly 12 hours online, but not before it provoked sharp bipartisan condemnation.
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina called the video “the most racist content” he had seen from the White House, urging Trump to delete it immediately. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries likewise condemned the post, describing it as “disgusting bigotry” and calling on Republicans to denounce it.
The video was part of a longer AI-generated clip produced by a pro-MAGA meme account, which also featured other Democratic figures including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The fact that the clip originated from a meme account underscores how accessible and replicable deepfake technology has become.
White House officials initially defended the post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was derived from an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Yet this defense fails to address the deeper issue: the specific racial history of depicting Black leaders as apes, a long-standing dehumanizing trope that has been used to justify discrimination and violence.
The incident reflects a broader trend in which AI tools lower the barrier to creating provocative, realistic content. In the past, political smear campaigns required resources and coordination; today, a single user can generate and distribute a manipulative video with minimal effort. This makes misinformation faster, harder to track, and easier to deny.
Even though the video was eventually removed, its impact cannot be fully undone. Once such content is shared online, it spreads rapidly and can be preserved through screenshots, reuploads, and reposts. This cycle allows political actors to exploit outrage while minimizing accountability, a dynamic that is likely to intensify as AI tools become more advanced.
The episode also reveals the limits of social media platforms in policing harmful content. While platforms can remove posts after the fact, they often cannot prevent rapid dissemination or counteract the initial damage. As AI-generated political content becomes more common, the question shifts from “Will it happen again?” to “How can democratic societies build effective safeguards against it?”
Ultimately, the controversy over the Trump video highlights a critical new battlefield in modern politics: the fight over reality itself. Deepfakes are not merely a technological novelty; they are a powerful tool for dehumanizing opponents, shaping public perception, and eroding trust in democratic discourse. Unless policymakers, platforms, and the public develop stronger norms and protections, the next viral video could be even more destructive.