By Caitlin Yilek
Updated on: February 6, 2026 / 9:40 PM EST / CBS News
Washington — Republican lawmakers condemned President Trump on Friday for sharing a video that portrayed former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. The criticism continued after the White House removed the video following the backlash.
Several GOP officials publicly urged the president to remove the post, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate. “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott wrote. “The President should remove it.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the video, saying the footage — which showed the Obamas’ heads edited onto apes’ bodies — was part of an “internet meme video” that depicted Mr. Trump as “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Friday night, Mr. Trump said he “just looked at the first part” of the video and did not see the portion featuring the Obamas. “I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a picture that people don’t like,” he said. “I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it.”
Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, said, “Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.” GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York called the post “wrong and incredibly offensive.” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi called it “totally unacceptable.” Both said Mr. Trump should apologize.
A White House official said a staffer “erroneously made the post.” Several Republicans shared condemnation after the post — which Mr. Trump shared Thursday night — was removed Friday afternoon. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine described it as “appalling.” Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska said he was glad the White House removed the “offensive” post.
Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said the video “should have never been posted to begin with, and is not who we are as a nation.” Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas called the post “racist and offensive and not who we are as a nation.” Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said it “sent the wrong message despite how it may have been originally intended.” Sen. John Curtis of Utah called it “blatantly racist and inexcusable,” adding, “It should never have been posted or left published for so long.”
GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said the images were “offensive, heart breaking, and unacceptable. President Trump should apologize.” Rep. John James of Michigan, who is Black, defended the president as “not racist” but said he was “shocked and appalled” and was “glad to see that trash has been taken down.” Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah said, “The imagery was wildly offensive and inappropriate, and as a Black man, I find it especially troubling,” adding that it “never should have been shared or even created, and I’m glad it has been taken down.”
Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said he was glad the post was removed, noting “racism and dehumanizing rhetoric have no place in our country. Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Kristin Brown contributed to this report.