Key Facts
• On February 6, 2026, President Donald Trump posted a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
• The 62-second video claimed election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
• The offensive clip appeared at the end of the video on Trump’s “Truth Social” account.
• Trump said staff posted the video without his knowledge of the Obamas’ depiction.
• The video was deleted after widespread criticism, including from Republican lawmakers.
• Senator Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing” from the White House and urged deletion.
• The White House initially defended the video as an internet meme.
• The racist imagery was taken from a conservative meme posted on social media in October 2025.
• Other Democratic figures and Joe Biden were also depicted as animals in the original meme.
• NAACP and Democratic leaders strongly condemned the video and Trump’s actions.
• Republican criticism continued after deletion, calling the video “blatant racism.”
• The video included disproven conspiracy claims about Michigan’s 2020 election.
• Trump has a history of attacking Obama, including false birth origin claims before 2017.
• White House confirmed the video was posted “by mistake” by staff.
• Access and approval process for the president’s social media remain unclear.
Summary
On February 6, 2026, President Donald Trump posted a 62-second video on his Truth Social account that included a racist clip depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The video, which promoted false claims of election fraud in 2020, sparked immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, including Senator Tim Scott and other GOP lawmakers. Trump claimed that staff posted the video without his knowledge of the offensive content and deleted it shortly after the criticism intensified. The White House initially defended the video as an internet meme but later acknowledged it was posted by mistake. The racist imagery originated from a conservative meme circulated in late 2025, which also portrayed other Democratic figures and Joe Biden as animals. The incident reignited debates over racism and misinformation linked to Trump’s social media use. Despite deletion, the controversy drew strong condemnation from civil rights groups and political leaders, highlighting ongoing tensions within the Republican Party and American politics regarding race and election integrity.
