A nurse at Rochester General Hospital, Christa Vernile Kendall, reposted the video that Donald Trump shared, which depicted the Obamas as apes. Kendall captioned it “Love it!” expressing support for the post, which critics described as racist.
As a result, she was put on administrative leave and removed from her union leadership position.
Trump received criticism for posting racist content on former first couple Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. Similarly, Kendall faced backlash for sharing the post. She deleted her Facebook history, but the screenshots of her supporting racist post are still going viral.
Several nurses voiced their concerns about Kendall’s post, noting that she treats Black patients and works with Black colleagues. Moreover, it reflected poorly on the whole department as she was the vice president of the Rochester nursing union.
Star Davis, Kendall’s former friend, also accused her of racism, as she said, “I finally saw her heart.” She encouraged others to file complaints against Kendall for disciplinary action. After this, the hospital shared an official statement that mentioned the action against the nurse and said the matter remains under review.
In addition, the Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals (RUNAP) condemned the “dehumanizing imagery in the depiction of Black people.” Kendall has also faced ongoing backlash online.
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A social media user commented, “That photoshopped item was upsetting. Public defense of it was so inappropriate… play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Another user added, “Good riddance to her. And this person was in a leadership role. Absolutely disgusting, not surprising at all. But disgusting nonetheless.”
The third one chimed in, “I wonder how many times their implicit bias encouraged them to do something unethical (lie, hold info etc) to someone of color.” Another Instagram user wasn’t satisfied with the action against the nurse, “A nurse in FL had their license immediately revoked after saying he wouldn’t provide anesthesia to MAGA patients, and this outwards racism is just being punished with a slap on the wrist.”
According to Trump, he posted the video after looking at the first part and did not watch the whole thing. Moreover, he refused to apologize, saying he didn’t make a mistake. Kendall went one step further in defending herself.
President Trump posting images of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes is straight up racist.
People of goodwill should condemn Trump’s post. I hope conservatives & Christian evangelicals on the right don’t ignore Trump’s post. It’s racist! pic.twitter.com/NklIStfcoy
— Howard Stevenson (@hlstevenson2) February 6, 2026
She said she found the meme funny, “I find it ironic that all the people in this group that have commented how disgusting this is, that you guys are worried about a comical meme that makes no difference whatsoever in the world.”
She went on a lengthy defensive rant, pointing out other law and order problems, illegal immigration, and fraud across the country. Needless to say, her explanation did not get the internet’s approval. Several commenters expressed concern about a nurse in a leadership position displaying potential racial bias.
