Trump says he 'didn't see' part of video with racist clip depicting Obamas as apes

February 7, 2026

President Donald Trump shared a social media video that contained a racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama portrayed as apes, though he claims he only watched the beginning and didn't see the offensive content before a staffer posted it. The 62-second video, which primarily focused on debunked voter fraud allegations, sparked widespread condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, with Senator Tim Scott calling it the most racist content from the White House. Initially, the White House defended the post as an internet meme and dismissed criticism as "fake outrage," but later removed it and blamed a staff member for the error.

Who is affected

Barack and Michelle Obama (depicted as apes in the video)
Other Democrats depicted as animals: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran Mamdani, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden
Republican lawmakers who criticized the post: Senator Tim Scott, Representative Mike Lawler, Senator John Curtis, and Representative Byron Donalds
The White House staffer blamed for posting the video
Civil rights organizations, particularly the NAACP led by Derrick Johnson
Democratic leaders including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Governors JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom

What action is being taken

The video has been removed from Trump's Truth Social account
The White House is attributing the post to a staffer who "erroneously" posted it
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are publicly condemning the video
The BBC is seeking clarification from the White House about account access and approval processes for posts

Why it matters

This incident is significant because it involves explicitly racist imagery coming from the official social media account of the sitting U.S. President, depicting the first Black president and first lady as apes—imagery that recalls deeply offensive historical racist caricatures. The controversy highlights ongoing concerns about presidential communication standards, vetting processes for official White House social media posts, and Trump's continued pattern of racist attacks against Obama. The bipartisan condemnation, particularly from Trump's own Republican allies, underscores how the post crossed widely recognized boundaries of acceptable conduct, even in today's polarized political environment.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC