Trump Faces Rare GOP Criticism Over Racist Video Post

Republican lawmakers join Democrats in condemning the president's sharing of a video depicting the Obamas as primates.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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President Donald Trump faced rare bipartisan criticism from Republican lawmakers after he posted a video on social media that included a racist image of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, depicted as primates. Multiple GOP senators and representatives joined their Democratic colleagues in voicing disgust and calling for the president to remove the post, which also echoed false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the delicate balance Republican lawmakers have struck in dealing with Trump, often communicating concerns privately to avoid his wrath. The swift and public backlash from members of his own party represents a rare moment of bipartisan pushback against the president's actions.

The details

The video, which appears to be AI-generated, depicted Trump as the 'King of the Jungle' and the Obamas and other Democrats as characters from 'The Lion King.' However, the Disney animated classic does not include any characters depicted as apes, and is set in an African savanna, not a jungle. White House officials initially claimed the video showed Trump as the 'King of the Jungle,' but later said it was erroneously posted by a staffer.

  • On February 7, 2026, President Trump posted the racist video on social media.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th and current President of the United States, serving his second term.

Barack Obama

The 44th President of the United States, serving from 2009 to 2017.

Michelle Obama

The wife of former President Barack Obama, who served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.

Tim Scott

The only Black Republican senator and chair of the Senate GOP's campaign arm.

Pete Ricketts

A Republican senator from Nebraska.

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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 from South Carolina (Social media)

“Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.”

— Pete Ricketts, Republican Senator from Nebraska (Social media)

What’s next

The White House has stated that the video was erroneously posted by a staffer, and President Trump has declined to apologize, saying he did not see the racist portion of the video when he passed it on to staff. It remains to be seen if the president will face further backlash or consequences for the incident.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the delicate balance Republican lawmakers have struck in dealing with President Trump, often communicating concerns privately to avoid his wrath. The swift and public backlash from members of his own party represents a rare moment of bipartisan pushback against the president's actions, underscoring the divisive and controversial nature of his presidency.