White House deletes racist Donald Trump post depicting Obamas as apes

A White House official said the post was 'erroneously made' by a staff member

Donald Trump talks with Barack Obama on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2017. Picture: Rob Carr/Pool Photo via AP

A video shared on Donald Trump's social media account that depicted Democratic former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes was deleted on Friday, following criticism that the US president's post evoked racist imagery long used to dehumanise people of African descent.

"A White House staffer erroneously made the post," said a White House official, who declined to be named. "It has been taken down."