By Harshit
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 8, 2026, 8 AM EDT
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he did not see the portion of a social media video he shared that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, a racist trope that sparked bipartisan condemnation and forced the White House to remove the post.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had only watched the beginning of the 62-second video before it was shared on his Truth Social account and insisted he had “nothing to apologize for.”
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump said when asked whether he would issue an apology. He claimed the video was posted by a staff member and that he was unaware of the offensive imagery at the end.
The video, set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, promoted debunked claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The final seconds showed the Obamas’ faces superimposed on apes — imagery widely recognized as racist. The post was later deleted following intense backlash.
White House Shifts Position After Backlash
Initially, the White House defended the video, dismissing criticism as “fake outrage” and describing it as an “internet meme.” But as condemnation grew — including from Republicans — the administration reversed course.
A White House official later said the video had been posted “erroneously” by a staffer and removed once senior officials became aware of its content.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier that the clip depicted Trump as the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, urging critics to focus on “issues that actually matter to the American public.”
Republicans Join Democrats in Condemnation
The video drew sharp criticism from both parties. Republican Senator Tim Scott, a longtime Trump ally, said he was “praying it was fake” and described it as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”
New York Republican Representative Mike Lawler called the post “wrong and incredibly offensive,” saying it should be deleted immediately with an apology. Utah Senator John Curtis described the video as “blatantly racist and inexcusable,” adding that it should never have been posted or left online.
According to US media, Florida Representative Byron Donalds contacted the White House directly after the post appeared and was told a staffer had “let the president down.”
Democrats Call Video Racist and Dangerous
Democrats were swift and forceful in their response. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office called the post “disgusting behavior by the President,” demanding that every Republican denounce it.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled Trump a “vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder,” while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker bluntly stated that “Donald Trump is a racist.”
Civil rights leaders also weighed in. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the clip “disgusting and utterly despicable,” accusing Trump of using racist imagery to distract from political and economic pressures.
Former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said the episode would stain Trump’s legacy, arguing that future generations would remember the Obamas fondly while studying Trump “as a stain on our country.”
Trump Defends Sharing Video, Blames Staff
Trump said he reviews “thousands of things” online and had handed the video to staff after watching only part of it. He said he agreed with the video’s claims about election fraud — claims repeatedly debunked in court — but conceded that if staff had reviewed the entire clip, “they probably would have had the sense to take it down.”
“We took it down as soon as we found out about it,” Trump said.
The Obamas have not publicly commented on the video.
The episode has renewed scrutiny of Trump’s long history of attacks on Barack Obama, including his role in promoting false claims before his first term that Obama was not born in the United States — assertions Trump later admitted were untrue.