House Minority Leader Jefferies unleashes furious response to Trump 'racist' post

US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has ripped into the US president, saying "f***k Donald Trump" in a social media clip, responding to a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes that was shared on Trump's Truth Social account.

Jeffries said the post, which sparked bipartisan outrage for its racist messaging, was intentional and launched a blistering personal attack on the president.

"This disgusting video posted by the so-called president was done intentionally," Jeffries said. "F**k Donald Trump, and his vile, racist and malignant behaviour.

"This guy is an unhinged bottom feeder."

The video Trump's account shared late Thursday night - before it was removed hours later - briefly showed former president Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed on the bodies of apes, at the end of a longer clip promoting false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Jeffries praised the Obamas as "brilliant, caring and patriotic Americans", and said they "represent the best of this country".

He also called on senior Republicans to publicly break with Trump, naming Senate Republican leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, and urging them to denounce what he described as Trump's repeated racist conduct.

"It's time for John Thune, Mike Johnson and Republicans to denounce this serial fraudster who's sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave pretending to be the president of the United States," Jeffries said.

The White House initially defended the post, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissing criticism as "fake outrage", before later blaming a staffer for sharing the video and confirming it had been removed. Trump has not apologised.

The post prompted swift backlash from across the political spectrum. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina called the video racist and urged Trump to remove it.

At the same time, New York Republicans Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota also publicly condemned the post and called for an apology.

Jeffries' outburst comes against the backdrop of previous incidents in which Trump or members of his administration shared racially offensive or digitally altered content targeting Democrats, including imagery of Jeffries himself wearing a fake moustache and sombrero, which Jeffries has previously described as racist.

While Trump has a long history of reposting conspiratorial or inflammatory material online, he really deletes a post or acknowledges responsibility for it.

The Obamas have not commented publicly on the video. CNN has contacted their office for comment.

- CNN/RNZ