Conservative commentator and Indian-origin MAGA ally Dinesh D’Souza stirred a row after calling a recently shared AI video of former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama portrayed as monkeys “amusing and harmless”. Social media accused him of hypocrisy, pointing out that he had previously condemned racist remarks directed at Indian Americans within the US Republican movement.The video was shared by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social, which included a 62-second clip that involved the Obamas depicted as apes. It also featured other high-profile Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden, portrayed as animals. The clip was condemned as racist across party lines.Trump said he “didn’t see” the part of the video showing the Obamas and claimed he had only watched the beginning before it was posted by a staff member. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I didn’t make a mistake.” The post was later removed after backlash from both Democrats and Republicans.D’Souza himself is an Indian-born Trump ally who reacted by downplaying the racist content. In an X post, he wrote, “In context, this is both amusing and harmless. We’re not in the mood to fall for another race hoax from the Left.” The Internet reminded Dinesh that he only spoke up against anti-Indian hate in America, and now he finds racism against Black people, in this case the Obamas, “amusing.”Last year, D’Souza said he was shocked at encountering racist and anti-Indian comments from some supporters on the US right. He said, “The Right never used to talk like this. So who on our side has legitimised this type of vile degradation?” He described the abusive messages directed at him and other Indian Americans as degrading and said he saw no such hate in his 40-year career.Republican Senator Tim Scott described the Trump shared video as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House”. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended it as an “internet meme video” and told critics to “stop the fake outrage”.
