Trump Defends Posting Racist Obama Video, Says No Staffer Fired

The president says the video was part of a 'very strong piece on voter fraud'.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Former President Donald Trump defended the posting of a video on his Truth Social account that featured a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama. Trump said the video was part of a 'very strong piece on voter fraud' and that he has not fired any staffers over the incident, despite some Republicans calling for the video to be taken down.

Why it matters

The posting of the racist video has sparked outrage and renewed concerns about Trump's history of making inflammatory statements about race and promoting misinformation. It also highlights ongoing divisions within the Republican party over how to address issues of racism and election integrity.

The details

The video was posted nearly a week ago, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended its posting in a statement. However, some Republicans on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), called for the video to be taken down, with Scott describing it as the 'most racist thing I've been out of this White House.' The White House then removed the post, blaming a staffer, but Trump later said he had ordered the video to be posted to his account.

  • The video was posted nearly a week ago, on February 6, 2026.
  • On February 10, 2026, Trump defended the video and said he has not fired any staffers over the incident.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who posted the racist video on his Truth Social account and has defended it.

Barack Obama

The former president who was depicted in a racist clip in the video posted by Trump.

Michelle Obama

The former first lady who was also depicted in a racist clip in the video posted by Trump.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House Press Secretary who initially defended the posting of the video.

Tim Scott

The Republican senator from South Carolina who called the video the 'most racist thing I've been out of this White House'.

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What they’re saying

“That was a video on, as you know, voter fraud. It was a fairly long video that had a little piece that had to do with...”

— Donald Trump (Deadline)

“The most racist thing I've been out of this White House.”

— Tim Scott, Senator (Deadline)

What’s next

It remains to be seen if any further action will be taken by the White House or Republican leaders in response to the posting of the racist video.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions within the Republican party over issues of race and the integrity of elections, and raises concerns about the former president's continued promotion of misinformation and divisive rhetoric.