President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn before departing the White House, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would not apologise after a racist social media post targeting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama was deleted following criticism from across the political spectrum, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The post, shared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday, showed a short video in which the Obamas’ faces were placed on jungle primates. It was taken down hours later after condemnation from Democrats, Republicans and civil rights groups.
BREAKING: Trump just posted a video on Truth Social that includes a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys.
Speaking on Friday, Trump said he had done nothing wrong. “I didn’t make a mistake,” he said. The White House said the post had been shared by a staff member and removed once concerns were raised.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier dismissed criticism as “fake outrage”, before the White House later acknowledged the post should not have gone out. The administration did not explain how the content was approved or who controls Trump’s social media posts, which he often uses for policy announcements.
The post appeared during a burst of overnight activity in which Trump again repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, despite courts and officials finding no evidence of widespread fraud. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president had no response.
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called for the post to be removed, saying he hoped it was fake. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said the post was “totally unacceptable” and that Trump should apologise.
Congressional Black Caucus chair Yvette Clarke said she did not accept the White House explanation. “If there wasn’t a toxic and racist climate within the White House, we wouldn’t see this,” she told AP.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the video “despicable” and said Trump was trying to distract attention from economic issues and the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
Trump has a long history of personal attacks on the Obamas, including promoting the false claim that Obama was not born in the United States. The post also came during Black History Month, days after Trump issued a proclamation praising the contributions of Black Americans.
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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn before departing the White House, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo) 
