WASHINGTON, Feb 6, 2026 (GeokHub) The White House on Friday removed a racist video shared on President Donald Trump’s social media account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, following intense criticism from lawmakers, civil rights advocates, and members of the president’s own party.
The post remained online for roughly 12 hours before being taken down. During that time, it drew condemnation for invoking imagery widely recognized as a racist trope historically used to demean people of African descent.
After initially defending the post, the White House said it was removed after senior officials reviewed its content. A White House official said the video had been posted in error by a staff member and was deleted once the mistake was identified. Another adviser said the president had not viewed the video prior to its publication and ordered its removal when informed.
The video combined political messaging with altered imagery and amplified false claims related to the 2020 U.S. election. Toward the end of the clip, an apparently AI-generated segment showed dancing primates with the Obamas’ faces superimposed — imagery that critics said crossed a clear line into racism.
The post triggered rare public rebukes from Republican lawmakers, with several urging its immediate removal and calling the imagery unacceptable. Other members of the party privately contacted the White House to express concern, according to people familiar with the matter.
The incident adds to ongoing scrutiny of how presidential social media accounts are managed, particularly given their ability to rapidly shape public discourse and provoke political fallout. A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
