Cardinal Cupich Demands White House Apology for Racist Obama Video

The Archbishop of Chicago calls for an "unequivocal apology" over a social media post depicting the Obamas as primates.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, is calling on the White House to apologize after President Donald Trump shared a racist social media post that depicted former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as primates. Cupich said "portraying human beings as animals" is unacceptable and that "nothing less than an unequivocal apology" is acceptable.

Why it matters

The incident highlights ongoing racial tensions and the continued use of dehumanizing imagery targeting prominent Black public figures, even at the highest levels of government. Cupich's strong rebuke puts pressure on the White House to address the racist content and its impact.

The details

The 62-second video clip that Trump shared appeared to be from a conservative source alleging voting machine tampering in the 2020 election. At the 60-second mark, it briefly showed two primates with the Obamas' faces superimposed on them. The post was condemned by both Democrats and Republicans, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker calling Trump "a racist" in response. The White House initially described the criticism as "fake outrage" before deleting the post.

  • On February 9, 2026, Cardinal Blase Cupich issued a statement condemning the racist video post.

The players

Cardinal Blase Cupich

The Archbishop of Chicago who called for the White House to issue an unequivocal apology over the racist video depicting the Obamas.

President Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who shared the racist social media post on his account.

Barack Obama

The former U.S. president whose face was superimposed on a primate in the racist video.

Michelle Obama

The former First Lady whose face was also superimposed on a primate in the racist video.

Governor JB Pritzker

The Illinois governor who condemned Trump's post, calling him "a racist" in response.

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What they’re saying

“Portraying human beings as animals — less than human — is not new. Our shock is real. So is our outrage. Nothing less than an unequivocal apology — to the nation and to the persons demeaned — is acceptable.”

— Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago (suntimes.com)

“Donald Trump is a racist”

— Governor JB Pritzker (suntimes.com)

“Of course I do”

— President Donald Trump (suntimes.com)

The takeaway

This incident underscores the persistent problem of racism at the highest levels of government and the need for swift and unequivocal condemnation of dehumanizing rhetoric targeting prominent Black public figures. Cardinal Cupich's call for an apology puts pressure on the White House to address the harm caused by the racist video post.