White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made a striking admission on February 18 that appears to contradict earlier explanations regarding Donald Trump’s controversial video featuring Barack and Michelle Obama.
During a press briefing in Washington, D.C., Leavitt, 28, confirmed that posts on Trump’s Truth Social account are directly attributable to him, challenging previous claims that a staffer was responsible for uploading the racially insensitive “Obama ape” video.
Earlier this month, Trump shared a one-minute video on Truth Social that included a brief two-second segment digitally placing the Obamas’ faces onto apes’ bodies, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The post drew immediate backlash across the political spectrum. The video was removed roughly 12 hours later, with Trump criticizing the content but stopping short of apologizing, insisting he had not watched the full clip. The White House initially suggested a staffer had “erroneously” posted it, according to the Mirror US.
However, during Wednesday’s briefing, Leavitt appeared to contradict that account while answering questions about a different Truth Social post from Trump, in which he criticized a UK agreement concerning the Chagos Islands. Trump wrote:
“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA! I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is 'claiming' Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia.”
When a reporter asked if this post reflected a shift in U.S. policy, Leavitt stated that the message “should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration” because it came “straight from the horse’s mouth.” She added, “When you see it on Truth Social, you know it’s directly from President Trump,” prompting observers to revisit the earlier claim that Trump had not personally shared the Obama video.
It is worth noting that multiple people have access to Trump’s Truth Social account. During his campaign and first term, Dan Scavino managed much of the president’s social media. More recently, aides like former OANN host Natalie Harp have assisted in composing posts dictated by Trump. Still, it remains unclear whether the Obama video was personally published by Trump or posted by a staffer under his direction.
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