Trump Deletes Racist Obama Post After Bipartisan Backlash/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump deleted a social media post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as primates after sharp backlash. The White House initially defended the post before blaming a staffer for sharing it. Trump later said he would not apologize, reigniting debate over race, rhetoric and accountability.
Trump Obama Post Backlash: Quick Looks
- Racist depiction of Obamas sparks bipartisan criticism
- White House first dismisses backlash, later deletes post
- Trump refuses to apologize for content
- GOP lawmakers join Democrats in condemnation
- Incident revives scrutiny of Trump’s racial rhetoric
- Civil rights leaders call post dehumanizing
Deep Look: Trump Deletes Racist Obama Post After Bipartisan Backlash
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump deleted a racially offensive social media post Friday after a wave of condemnation from Democrats, civil rights leaders and prominent Republicans, though the president insisted he had done nothing wrong and refused to apologize.
The post, shared late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, featured a video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle scene. Critics quickly denounced the imagery as racist, invoking a long history of dehumanizing portrayals of Black Americans.
The video was removed by midday Friday. The White House said the post had been shared by a staff member in error, a rare acknowledgment of fault that followed hours of dismissive messaging from the administration.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially brushed aside criticism as “fake outrage,” describing the clip as part of an internet meme portraying Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as cartoon animals. After calls for its removal intensified — including from Republican lawmakers — the administration reversed course and deleted the post.
Trump later addressed the controversy aboard Air Force One, saying he did not regret sharing the video.
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump told reporters. He added that he liked the beginning of the clip, which focused on unfounded claims of election fraud, and suggested the offensive imagery at the end was not reviewed.
Asked whether he condemned the racist depiction, Trump said, “Of course I do,” but stopped short of apologizing.
The post was part of a broader burst of overnight activity in which Trump amplified false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, despite repeated court rulings and findings by his own first-term attorney general that no widespread fraud occurred.
The controversy unfolded during the first week of Black History Month, just days after Trump issued a proclamation praising the contributions of Black Americans. A spokesperson for Obama said the former president had no response.
The episode prompted rare public criticism from within Trump’s own party. Sen. Tim Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House” and urged its removal. Sen. Roger Wicker said the post was “totally unacceptable” and that Trump should apologize.
Civil rights leaders were blunt. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the video “utterly despicable” and accused Trump of using inflammatory rhetoric to distract from other political pressures.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she rejected the White House’s explanation.
“If there wasn’t a toxic climate within this White House, we wouldn’t see this kind of behavior,” Clarke said, adding that the incident reflected a broader pattern.
The imagery drew condemnation beyond Washington. In Atlanta, civil rights leader Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., responded by affirming Black dignity and humanity, rejecting the dehumanizing symbolism of the post.
Historians note that portraying Black people as animals has deep roots in American racism, dating back centuries and used to justify enslavement, segregation and violence. Obama himself faced such imagery during his political rise, including during Trump’s years-long promotion of the false “birther” conspiracy questioning Obama’s citizenship.
Trump has repeatedly used racially charged language over his political career. During his first term, he referred to some majority-Black nations as “shithole countries,” a remark he later acknowledged making. More recently, he described immigrants as “poisoning the blood of our country,” language critics have compared to historical propaganda used to dehumanize minorities.
The White House did not clarify how Trump’s social media posts are reviewed or when a post reflects the president’s direct voice versus staff activity. Trump often signs policy-related posts with his initials, but the video in question bore no such marker.
The incident underscored growing unease among some Republicans as Trump’s rhetoric again dominates headlines. While Trump retains strong control over his party, the swift and public backlash marked a notable departure from past controversies, where GOP criticism was muted.
Despite the deletion, Trump’s refusal to apologize suggests the issue may continue to reverberate — both politically and culturally — as debates over race, power and accountability remain central to the national conversation.
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