Congressional Black Caucus Chair Slams Trump's 'Bigoted and Racist' Post

Rep. Yvette Clarke says the White House's shifting responses show a 'toxic and racist climate'.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Yvette Clarke, strongly criticized President Donald Trump over a racist video posted on his social media account, calling it a sign of a 'bigoted and racist regime' in the White House. Clarke said the video, which depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates, was clearly intended to 'harm people' and that the White House's shifting explanations showed a 'toxic and racist climate' under Trump's leadership.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the ongoing racial tensions and divisiveness that have characterized the Trump presidency, with the Congressional Black Caucus chair accusing the administration of promoting 'bigoted and racist' content that could negatively impact Black children's views of their own country's leadership.

The details

The video in question was posted on President Trump's social media account, but was later deleted. The White House initially dismissed the 'fake outrage' over the video, then blamed a staff member for posting it, before Trump himself told reporters that no one had seen the offensive portion depicting the Obamas as primates prior to it being shared. However, Rep. Clarke rejected these explanations, saying the White House 'doesn't tell the truth' and that the video's 12-hour presence online showed an 'intent to harm people' under a 'toxic and racist climate' in the administration.

  • The video was posted on President Trump's social media account on February 11, 2026.
  • The video was deleted from Trump's account later that same day.

The players

Rep. Yvette Clarke

The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of more than 60 Black House and Senate members.

President Donald Trump

The current President of the United States, who posted the controversial video on his social media account.

Former President Barack Obama

The former President of the United States, who was depicted in a racist manner in the video posted by Trump.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama

The former First Lady of the United States, who was also depicted in a racist manner in the video posted by Trump.

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What they’re saying

“It's very clear that there was an intent to harm people, to hurt people, with this video.”

— Rep. Yvette Clarke, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (The Associated Press)

“We're dealing with a bigoted and racist regime. … Every week we are, as the American people, put in a position where we have to respond to something very cruel or something extremely off-putting that this administration does. It's a part of their M.O. at this point.”

— Rep. Yvette Clarke, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (The Associated Press)

“They don't tell the truth. If there wasn't a climate, a toxic and racist climate within the White House, we wouldn't see this type of behavior regardless of who it's coming from.”

— Rep. Yvette Clarke, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The Congressional Black Caucus is expected to continue pressing the White House to address the racist climate and content coming from the administration, though it remains unclear if there will be any meaningful outreach or accountability from the Trump White House on this issue.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the deep racial divisions and hostility that have characterized the Trump presidency, with the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus accusing the White House of promoting 'bigoted and racist' content that could harm Black children's perceptions of their country's leadership. It remains to be seen if this controversy will have any lasting political consequences for the administration.