President Donald Trump ignited a firestorm of controversy after sharing this Friday February 6th, a viral video on his Truth Social account. The images, featuring the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed on ape bodies, quickly spread across social media. Set to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the video played into a long-standing, deeply offensive racist stereotype comparing Black individuals to apes. This sparked widespread outrage, with critics condemning the imagery as racist and dehumanizing.

However, the video wasn't originally created by Trump. The origins of this viral content lie in AI-generated political memes, a growing trend where technology is used to remix political figures with animal imagery. This particular video gained significant attention due to the racist undertones and how it was amplified by Trump's massive online following, further intensifying the backlash. By the time of this publication, the post was taken down.

The Origins of the Video: AI-Generated Political Content

The video shared by Trump wasn't his creation, but rather the work of an AI meme creator known as "Xerias". This individual is known for using artificial intelligence to create politically charged content, often portraying public figures as animals. In the case of this video, Trump is depicted as the "Lion King" of the jungle, with Democratic figures, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Nancy Pelosi, as various jungle animals. However, the video took a particularly disturbing turn when Barack and Michelle Obama were portrayed as apes—a clear allusion to a racist stereotype that has been used to dehumanize Black people for centuries.

This AI-generated meme was shared within pro-Trump circles, where it became a form of political commentary. What might have started as satire or dark humor soon became a deeply problematic piece of content, especially given the racial imagery at its core. The use of apes to represent Barack and Michelle Obama was not just offensive—it was part of a broader history of using animalistic imagery to undermine and ridicule Black individuals in a way that has long been associated with racism.

Trump's Post: Immediate Backlash and Widespread Sharing

When Trump shared the video on Truth Social, the clip quickly went viral, reaching millions of people. It wasn't just Trump's supporters who engaged with the video—critics across social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and Facebook, condemned the video for its racist imagery.

"This is so sick-- so vile--that it's hard to know where to begin," wrote former Obama advisor David Axelrod.

However, Xerias posted again another version with the Democrats as animals, and the Obamas as apes.

Reactions From Across the Political Spectrum

The backlash to Trump's video wasn't just limited to the White House. Democratic leaders, civil rights organizations, and public figures from all walks of life spoke out against the video. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called it "a gross display of racism," stressing that it was far more than a political joke. "This isn't just satire. This is a dangerous form of racial hate that continues to permeate our culture," Ocasio-Cortez said.

The NAACP also issued a statement, urging for accountability. "We've seen this kind of imagery used throughout history to dehumanize Black people," said Derrick Johnson, president of the organization. "It's not funny. It's part of a long history of using racial tropes to silence, belittle, and erase."

Who is Xerias?

Xerias is a pseudonymous creator known for producing AI-generated political memes, often featuring controversial imagery and themes. Operating largely within pro-Trump circles, Xerias uses artificial intelligence to create satirical content that remixes public figures, typically depicting them as animals or in exaggerated, often offensive, contexts.

Their work is part of a larger trend in digital politics, where memes serve as a form of commentary and sometimes as a tool for provocation or satire. The AI-generated videos and images created by Xerias are typically shared on social media platforms like Truth Social, X (formerly Twitter), and Telegram, where they are amplified by users with similar political views.

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Trump, Barack Obama