Trump's Controversial Post: Racist Imagery Sparks Outrage Amid Election Claims

Fri Feb 06 2026 18:59:09 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

President Trump faces backlash for sharing a video depicting the Obamas in a derogatory manner while promoting false claims about the 2020 election.

In a recent social media post, President Donald Trump shared a video that included racist imagery of former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, portraying them as primates. The video aligns with Trump's repeated assertions that the 2020 election was stolen, claims previously dismissed by courts and his former Attorney General. Critics, including the organization Republicans Against Trump, condemned the post, while White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt dismissed the outrage as 'fake.' The incident raises questions about the continuing divisive rhetoric in American politics and highlights Trump’s history of incendiary remarks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump used his social media account to share a video about election conspiracy theories that includes a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle.

The Republican president’s Thursday night post immediately drew backlash for its treatment of the nation’s first Black president and first lady. It was part of a flurry of social media activity that amplified Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term finding no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected criticism of the post depicting the Obamas, who are Democrats. An Obama spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Nearly all of the 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Trump overnight, appears to be from a conservative video indicating deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark is a quick scene of two primates, with the Obamas’ smiling faces imposed on them.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” Leavitt stated, indicating this context as a justification for the post. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

The group Republicans Against Trump, known for its critique of the president on social media platforms, lambasted the post denouncing it as “racist.” They claimed that the imagery depicted a new low in Trump's rhetoric.

Trump’s history of controversial remarks adds a layer of complexity to this episode. He has faced considerable scrutiny for previous racially charged statements and for promoting conspiracy theories about Obama, including ongoing discussions about his birthplace that have persisted since Obama’s presidency. Furthermore, during his 2024 campaign, Trump has made inflammatory comments about immigrants.

The video in question reflects Trump’s strategy of engaging his followers through provocative media, which he and his team often dismiss as humor, even as it continues to stoke political divisions across the country.