Trump and the racist video against Obama, the president’s explanation

The video remained online for a few hours before being removed. According to the White House, the content was shared “in error” by a staff member. The administration initially dismissed the episode as a simple “internet meme”, only to backtrack in the face of a wave of bipartisan criticism.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had only seen the beginning of the video: “What I saw at the beginning was very strong. It was about a fraudulent election, about fraud somewhere in Georgia, disgusting stuff. Probably nobody checked the end. We took it down as soon as we noticed it.”

Reporter: Do you condemn the racist parts of that video?

Trump: Of course I do. pic.twitter.com/KlGZxHLN3v

— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 7, 2026

The video and the controversy

The clip, lasting 1 minute and 2 seconds, was part of a series of nightly posts from Trump’s account. About 59 seconds into the game, the most contested image appeared: a manipulated and considered racist depiction of the Obamas, placed in a jungle-like visual context, with the 1961 song ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ playing in the background.

The video, watermarked by Patriot News Outlet, mixed documentary style, doctored images and unfounded accusations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, a recurring theme in Trump’s political communications.

Bipartisan reactions

The criticism has not spared the Republican Party. Senator Tim Scott, the only African-American Republican senator, called the video “the most racist thing I’ve seen from this White House.” Other Republicans, such as Mike Lawler and Pete Ricketts, called for the removal and a public clarification, stressing that even a meme does not eliminate the perceived racist context.

Democrats instead framed the episode within a broader history of racist representations in American politics. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Barack and Michelle Obama as “brilliant, compassionate and patriotic” and condemned the post. MP Raja Krishnamoorthi called the images historical racial stereotypes, calling the content “a disgrace to the presidential office.”