Updated on: February 6, 2026 / 9:38 PM EST / CBS News
President Trump late Friday addressed a video posted to his social media account that included a racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, saying he looked at the beginning of the now-deleted clip but didn’t see the portion showing the former president and first lady.
“I just looked at the first part,” the president said on Air Force One, adding most of the video was about alleged voter fraud. “I didn’t see the whole thing. I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a picture that people don’t like. I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it.”
He suggested a staffer had placed the video on his account, saying “somebody slipped” and posted it to his Truth Social page shortly before midnight Thursday without noticing the Obamas’ depiction in the final seconds.
“Generally they’d look at the whole thing, but I guess somebody didn’t, and they posted,” Mr. Trump said. “We took it down as soon as we found out about it.”
The White House initially defended the post. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called criticism “fake outrage” and said the image of the Obamas’ faces edited onto apes was part of a meme depicting Democrats as characters from The Lion King.
A number of Republican lawmakers swiftly condemned the post and urged it be removed, with Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina calling it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Several Republicans pressed the White House to apologize.
Mr. Trump said he spoke with Scott, confirming earlier reporting. The post was deleted from Truth Social soon after their conversation.
Asked whether he planned to apologize, Mr. Trump replied: “No, I didn’t make a mistake.” He added he “of course” condemns the racist portion of the video.