Ah, yes, the weekend kicked off with the press and social media (the two growing more indistinguishable by the day) worked up into a lather over the fact that the president’s Truth Social account posted a “racist” video, portraying former President Barack Obama and the former first lady as animated apes. This serves as all the injection needed of political adrenaline for the braying resistance members to turn into howler monkeys, to keep with the primate theme.
As is always the case, there is more to the story, but that will be intentionally overlooked by those agents of agitprop and their dutiful minions of headline-readers. So it is left to those of us with the ability to patiently gasp breaths and ponder things before having drive belts flying off of the pulleys.
So first, we have to deliver the sobering facts. Firstly, the video causing the hysterics was not what had been posted. What was posted to the Truth account was instead a minute-long clip about voter fraud. The controversial elements arrived from an autoplay function by the platform supplying the original, and the upsetting visuals were in place as a result of that video being improperly edited at the end. Further, the clip seen was not an Obama-focused racist trope, but a satirical AI cartoon depicting an array of Democrat figures as various African animals in a Lion King parody.
Here is the full video Trumps Truth Social account posted that has a 1 second clip of the Obamas with lion King Music.
— Benjamin (@RunningbearTx) February 6, 2026
The clip is about election fraud and this brief snippet comes in at the very end of the clip.
Not sure if this was intentional or whomever posted it did not… pic.twitter.com/5tIFzJXi9X
Were the Obamas intentionally depicted in this fashion? That argument could be made, we suppose, but the lack of proven intent exists as well. It was not the creation of the president, nor the White House. What is recognized in play is that this was an unforced error by Trump’s communication team, as any excuse at all by the media figures to pounce on objectionable content concerning the president will see them attacking like a lion on a Cape buffalo with a shattered femur on the African savannah.
To his credit, President Trump did not turn milquetoast to the press reactions. This is a trait that has served him well and has kept the journalists frequently off balance. This battalion of D.C. bellyachers has been conditioned to see a political figure cower and turn apologetic in cases like this, where being reduced to sniveling was the expected reaction. Trump doesn’t succumb to their standards. We saw this perplexed reaction from Kaitlan Collins last year. After a similar charge of racism was attempted regarding the placing of a sombrero on Hakeem Jeffries, the CNN figure was actually dismayed that the president did not care about the accusations hurled by the media.
NBC News covered the president's reaction to this tempest in a shot glass. During a flight the following evening, the president faced these media jackals, and he stood steadfast. And, as expected, his refusal to bend the knee to racist accusations is itself now being used as an additional cudgel.
Trump says he won't apologize for racist post depicting the Obamas as apes (via @NBCNews) https://t.co/6rXsAQ6xZb
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) February 7, 2026
Speaking to reporters Friday night, Trump said “of course” he condemns the racist parts of the video, while noting he has no plans to apologize.
“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” he said on Air Force One, adding that he didn’t see the full video. “I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.”
This is the proper way to address a news item of this nature. The press has displayed over the years the double-standard in place in cases such as this. If a Democrat were to be cornered by such an instance, they apologize and are rewarded for “doing the decent thing.” Republicans are offered no such grace. An apology does not change the approach, as the instance will be trotted out following the rendering of clothes, and frequently that apology is then indicated as an admission of guilt by the party involved.
Trump treated this properly, indicating a level of disapproval and seeing that the clip was removed. Nothing more needs to be done, much to the dissatisfaction of the press. Some Republicans were no help, as they saw a need to earn some camera lens time.
Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10) commented on the visuals by saying he found them “offensive, heartbreaking.” Mike, you are a representative for the sake of all that is sane. Heartbreaking?! If this has you reduced to the level of a wine-mom sobbing on TikTok, you are in the wrong chamber. Go hook up with a San Francisco social inequity think-tank.
NBC noted that Tim Scott was one who came out with condemnation. (“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.“) Then, in oblivious fashion, NBC had to turn racially focused itself, noting how Senator Scott is “the only Black Republican in the upper chamber.” This contrasts, we need to absorb, with the more open-minded Democratic senators – totalling all of four.
NBC also found perhaps the most strident criticism of the White House reaction, coming from the most neutered of sources. We get told there is “frustration” at the response from Karoline Leavitt on Friday, stating the spokeswoman “dropped the ball” with her comments. “They say she had either released a statement without fully grasping the situation or initially didn’t find it problematic.”
This is a bold condemnation, “according to the White House ally with direct knowledge of the matter.”
And there is every reason to brush this off like a mewling toddler pointing a finger. The need to inflate this episode beyond its scope is desperate politicking. Giving it any more credence would only invigorate the hysterics. Trump is right to let this die off in the weekend cycle.
Editor's Note: This article was updated post-publication for clarity.
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