US President Donald Trump posted an election conspiracy video Thursday that drew backlash for its depiction of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, with Democrats condemning the video as offensive.The minute-long video, shared on President Trump’s Truth Social platform, repeats false claims that Dominion Voting Systems helped steal the 2020 presidential election, and briefly depicts the Obamas with monkey faces, according to AFP.By Friday morning, the post had received more than 1,000 likes on Truth Social.The image drew immediate backlash from Democratic leaders and former officials. The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent Trump critic and potential 2028 Democratic presidential nominee, condemned the post.“Disgusting action by the president. All Republicans must condemn this. Now,” Newsom’s news agency wrote about X.Ben Rhodes, a former national security adviser and close aide to Barack Obama, also criticized the video.“Let Trump and his racists know that future Americans will embrace the Obamas as beloved figures while studying them as a stain on our history,” Rose wrote to X.Since the beginning of his second term in the White House, Trump has increased his use of highly realistic but fabricated images and videos on Truth Social and other platforms, often portraying himself positively while mocking or attacking his critics.Last year, President Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting President Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office and then seen inside a bar wearing an orange jumpsuit. He later posted another AI clip showing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is Black, wearing a fake beard and a sombrero.
