The White House moved quickly Friday to delete a racist video shared from President Donald Trump’s social media account, after the post triggered widespread backlash and renewed scrutiny over who controls the president’s online messaging. Officials said the post was made in error by a staff member, not the president himself.
The video, shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes — imagery long associated with racist attacks against Black Americans. The post remained online for several hours before being taken down.
JUST IN: Trump DELETES racist post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, blames a “White House staffer.”
Karoline Leavitt previously defended the post and criticized the public outcry as “fake outrage.” pic.twitter.com/3PVhg2UZPJ
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) February 6, 2026
“A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down,” a White House official aIS. The official declined to name the staffer or explain how the content was approved or published.
According to Reuters, the racist video depicting Michelle and Barack Obama as apes was part of a longer clip promoting Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. Spliced into the footage was what appeared to be an AI-generated segment featuring dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed.
Sorry, but Karoline said that Trump 1st posted the racist photo of President and 1st Lady Obama. Now she said a staffer posted it. I believed her the 1st time. Trump posted this and the White House is trying to clean it up.
— Keith Grant (@KeithGrant09) February 6, 2026
The White House initially defended the post. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the reaction as “fake outrage,” describing the video as an internet meme portraying Trump as the “King of the Jungle,” with Democrats cast as characters from The Lion King.
That defense drew further criticism as the post continued to circulate online.
Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it. https://t.co/gADoM13ssZ
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) February 6, 2026
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican senator, publicly called for the video’s removal. “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott wrote on X. “The President should remove it.”
Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York was among several GOP lawmakers who said Trump should delete the post and apologize. By Friday morning, the video had been removed, and the White House shifted its explanation to a staff error.
In 2024, Trump stated that only himself and Dan Scavino have access to his Truth Social account.
This contradicts Karoline Leavitt’s implication that some random, unnamed low-level staffer was to blame for posting the now-deleted racist Obama ape video.
pic.twitter.com/5OE70yD9Yv
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) February 6, 2026
The episode sparked a wave of questions online about who has access to Trump’s Truth Social account and how official statements are posted in his name.
In a 2024 interview, Trump said that only he and longtime aide Dan Scavino had access to his account. That statement circulated widely on X after the White House blamed an unnamed staffer for the Obama video, with users questioning whether a lower-level employee could post content without the president’s knowledge.
They didn’t delete the meme or blame a staffer because they realized it was racist and the right thing to do.
They didn’t because of public outrage.
They did it because Republican senators FINALLY spoke out and they backed down.
There’s a lesson in that if they will learn it.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 6, 2026
Journalist Ron Filipkowski wrote on X that the explanation raised broader concerns, asking whether other major posts — including statements on foreign protests, tariff threats, and attacks on political opponents — were also made by staff rather than Trump himself.
Others focused on the lack of accountability. “Mistakes happen,” one widely shared post read. “Huge mistakes get you fired. So, has that staffer left the building yet?” In the meantime, the White House has not said whether any disciplinary action was taken.
🚨🚨This just in… The staffer responsible for those offensive Obama images! 😒 pic.twitter.com/CXqD4TeVcn
— Bryght (@Bryghtd1) February 6, 2026
Trump has a long history of sharing racially charged rhetoric and conspiracy theories involving Obama, including the false claim that Obama was not born in the United States. He has also faced repeated criticism for posting offensive imagery and language targeting political opponents.
As of Friday afternoon, the White House had removed the video but offered no further explanation about how it was posted, who approved it, or what safeguards exist to prevent similar incidents. The deleted post continues to circulate on social media, fueling ongoing questions about responsibility, oversight, and the blurred line between the president’s personal account and official White House messaging.
