Trump's Truth Social shares AI video depicting Obama as apes

A video seemingly created by AI, depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, was circulated on Donald Trump's Truth Social page.

The verified profile of the US president twice shared a minute-long clip related to voting machine irregularities, featuring a watermark from PatriotNewsOutlet.com.

In the closing seconds of this video, a brief two-second scene appears, showing the Obamas portrayed as apes, dancing in a jungle environment to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

The segment featuring the Obamas includes an “@XERIAS_X” watermark. A social media account with the handle @XERIAS_X showcases a profile picture of Pepe the Frog dressed as Trump. 

This account took responsibility for the “fighter jet poop” AI video shared by Trump during the “No Kings” protests the previous year.

It remains uncertain if Trump himself posted the video on Truth Social or if he was made aware of the controversial clip included in the voting machine footage. The White House has been approached for their viewpoint.

The post attracted criticism from Trump’s adversaries. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s social media account remarked: “Appalling conduct by the President. Every Republican needs to condemn this. Immediately.”

This post followed a series of updates on Trump’s Truth Social. Other videos shared on the president’s feed included one where a dog magically emerges from behind a kitchen counter upon hearing the noise of whipped cream being dispensed.

Previously, Trump’s Truth Social page has posted content criticised as racist. The prior year, a video was shared depicting the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, with a fake mustache and sombrero.