![\"Bill](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bill-maher-trump-obamas-apes.png\")
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In this Friday\u2019s Real Time<\/a> monologue, Bill Maher<\/a> called out the \u201cf*cking hypocrites\u201d who bought into White House excuses for President Trump\u2019s sharing of a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama<\/a> and wife Michelle<\/a> as apes.<\/p>\n Said video was shared by POTUS late Thursday night and remained up for nearly 12 hours, until a deafening backlash led to its removal.<\/p>\n At first, White House press sec Karoline Leavitt<\/a> on Friday morning argued, \u201cThis is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from\u00a0The Lion King.\u201d Addressing the press, she said \u201cplease stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the day, though, the administration changed their story, with a press rep saying: \u201cA White House staffer erroneously made the post\u201d on behalf of Trump. \u201cIt has been taken down.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to the controversy that dominated Friday\u2019s headlines, Maher in his monologue noted, \u201cTrump did a Roseanne,\u201d then first went for the jokes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe defense from the administration I thought was lame, that he did not meant hit Share\u201d on the meme, Maher said, \u201che meant to hit Like.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, though, Maher dug into the paper-thin Lion King defense.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo things are a little wrong with this\u2026,\u201d he contended. \u201cOne, there are no apes in The Lion King. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd two,\u201d he continued \u201cif it\u2019s a cartoon character, it\u2019s okay now? \u2026 So it\u2019s okay if somebody made a cartoon of Elmer Fudd shooting Charlie Kirk? That would be okay, you f*cking hypocrites?\u201d<\/p>\n Trump, when asked on Friday afternoon about the Truth Social post, claimed he didn\u2019t see the whole video. \u201cI looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud\u2026 how crooked it is, how disgusting it is. Then I gave it to the people [who handle his social media]. Generally, they look at the whole. But I guess somebody didn\u2019t.\u201d\u2018Asked if he condemned the clip, Trump told reporters, \u201cOf course I do\u201d\u2014though he stopped well short of apologizing for\u2026 well, whatever happened.\u2019Asked if he condemned the clip, Trump told reporters, \u201cOf course I do\u201d\u2014though he stopped well short of apologizing for\u2026 well, whatever happened.<\/p>\n Asked if he condemned the clip, Trump told reporters, \u201cOf course I do\u201d\u2014though he stopped well short of apologizing for\u2026 well, whatever happened.\u2019Asked if he condemned the clip, Trump told reporters, \u201cOf course I do\u201d\u2014though he stopped well short of apologizing for\u2026 well, whatever happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t make a mistake,\u201d he insisted. \u201cI look at a lot of, thousands of things, I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch Maher\u2019s monologue below; the Trump\/Obamas section starts at 2:00.<\/p>\n Trump shared a video depicting the Obamas as apes. In his defense, he didn’t mean to hit “share.” He just meant to hit “like.” pic.twitter.com\/XD3KHJ3Hlx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bill Maher (@billmaher) February 7, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Get stories like this in your inbox:\u00a0Sign up for LateNighter\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t