Trump Shares Racist Video Depicting Obamas as Primates

The former president's social media post immediately drew backlash for its treatment of the nation's first Black president and first lady.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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President Donald Trump used his social media account to share a video about election conspiracy theories that includes a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle. The video was part of a flurry of social media activity that amplified Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Why it matters

Trump's post is the latest example of the former president using racist rhetoric and imagery, which has a long history of dehumanizing Black individuals and communities. This incident further highlights the divisive and inflammatory nature of Trump's political rhetoric, which continues to have a significant impact on the national discourse.

The details

The 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Trump overnight, appears to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark, there is a quick scene of two primates, with the Obamas' smiling faces imposed on them. These frames were taken from a longer video, previously circulated by an influential conservative meme maker, that depicts a range of Democratic leaders as animals.

  • On February 6, 2026, Trump shared the racist video on his social media account.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who shared the racist video on his social media account.

Barack Obama

The 44th president of the United States, who was depicted as a primate in the racist video shared by Trump.

Michelle Obama

The former first lady of the United States, who was also depicted as a primate in the racist video shared by Trump.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House press secretary who rejected criticism of the post that depicted the Obamas.

Tim Scott

A Republican senator who is Black and criticized the post as the most racist thing he's seen out of the White House.

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What they’re saying

“Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”

— Tim Scott, Republican Senator (Social media)

“There's no bottom.”

— Republicans Against Trump, Political group (Social media)

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

— Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary (Text)

What’s next

The White House has not indicated whether Trump will remove the racist video from his social media account.

The takeaway

Trump's continued use of racist rhetoric and imagery, even after leaving office, demonstrates the persistent and divisive nature of his political brand. This incident underscores the need for greater accountability and responsibility in political discourse, particularly from those in positions of power.