WASHINGTON (Feb 7, 2026) – A firestorm has erupted following a post on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account that featured a video depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as primates. While the White House eventually deleted the post on Friday, Trump has doubled down, telling reporters on Air Force One, “I didn’t make a mistake,” and refusing to apologize.
The video was shared during one of the President’s late-night posting sprees and remained active for roughly 12 hours before its removal.
The Controversial Content
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The Video: The 62-second clip largely focused on debunked claims regarding voting machine fraud in the 2020 election.
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The Imagery: In the final seconds, the video cut to an image of two primates in a jungle with the faces of the Obamas digitally superimposed. The video also reportedly depicted other Democrats, including Joe Biden, as animals, while portraying Trump as a lion.
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White House Defense: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed the criticism as “fake outrage,” describing the clip as a harmless “internet meme” based on The Lion King.
Bipartisan Backlash
The post drew swift condemnation from both sides of the aisle, with many pointing out the historical use of such imagery to dehumanize Black people.
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Republican Reaction: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a key ally, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) also demanded an apology.
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Democratic Reaction: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the post “vile and abhorrent,” while Bernice King (daughter of MLK Jr.) responded by stating, “We are not apes.”
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Civil Rights Groups: The NAACP labeled the video “blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable.”
Trump’s Explanation
Faced with the backlash, President Trump admitted he saw the beginning of the video but claimed he didn’t watch it until the end:
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Staff Blame: The White House stated a staffer posted the video “erroneously.”
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No Contrition: When asked if he would apologize, Trump responded: “No, I didn’t make a mistake… I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud… then I gave it to the people [staff].”
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Condemnation: When asked if he condemned the racist portion itself, he said, “Of course I do.”
