**Excerpt:** President Trump addressed a controversial social media post depicting the Obamas as apes, claiming he “didn’t see” the objectionable image before it was deleted.
Key Points:
– Trump stated he only viewed the initial part of a video that included a racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama.
– He attributed the posting of the video on Truth Social to a staff error, claiming it was deleted as soon as it was discovered.
– White House Press Secretary initially defended the video, labeling criticism as “fake outrage.”
– Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Scott, condemned the video and called for an apology from Trump.
– Trump refused to apologize but condemned the racist aspect of the video.
Trump Claims Ignorance Over Controversial Video
On February 7, 2026, President Trump addressed reporters aboard Air Force One regarding a recently deleted video he shared on social media. The video included a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Trump’s Comments
Trump noted, “I just looked at the first part” of the video, which primarily discussed alleged voter fraud. He stated he was unaware of the objectionable image until it was brought to his attention. “I didn’t see the whole thing,” he explained, acknowledging that he wouldn’t have approved the video had he known about the depiction.
He indicated that the video was posted by a staff member who failed to review it thoroughly. “Generally they’d look at the whole thing, but I guess somebody didn’t,” Trump said, adding that the video was removed promptly once the issue was identified.
Initial White House Defense
Initially, the White House defended the video. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the backlash as “fake outrage.” She claimed the objectionable image was part of a meme depicting Democrats as characters from Disney’s *The Lion King*.
Republican Backlash
However, the response from Republican lawmakers was swift and critical. Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, labeled the image as “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Many Republicans urged Trump to retract the video and issue an apology.
After speaking with Scott, Trump confirmed he deleted the video shortly thereafter. When asked if he would apologize for the post, Trump replied, “No, I didn’t make a mistake,” but added that he “of course” condemns the racist part of the video.
Conclusion
The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding race and representation in political discourse, as well as the responsibility of public figures in managing their social media content.
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