A late-night post from President Donald Trump has sparked a storm inside his own party. Trump shared a video that used a racist portrayal of Barack and Michelle Obama, then insisted he had done nothing wrong even after the post was deleted.
The video appeared as part of a longer clip filled with conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. It was one of several links Trump pushed out on Thursday night. After criticism grew, he told reporters on Air Force One that he only watched the beginning of the clip. He suggested an unnamed staffer handled the post, saying, “I didn’t make a mistake.”
The White House first tried to dismiss the outrage, calling the video a harmless meme. But by midday, the backlash from Republicans was impossible to ignore. Several GOP lawmakers, including Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, condemned the video and urged Trump to take it down and apologize. Others called the post offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable.
Trump eventually removed the post after about 12 hours, a rare retreat from a president known for doubling down. His critics pointed out that the clip echoed racist tropes historically used to dehumanize Black Americans, and said this crossed a line even for an administration already accused of posting inflammatory content online.
Allies of the president tried to shift blame, claiming Trump didn’t upload the video himself and knew it was wrong. But Trump’s own comments did not show regret. His social media account, often filled with political attacks, memes, and AI-generated images, has become a central outlet for his messaging.
This latest controversy comes after years of Trump targeting the Obamas. From the false “birther” claims to repeated posts featuring doctored or AI videos, the former president has often pushed content aimed at undermining them. Michelle Obama addressed this pattern publicly during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, saying Trump built a political strategy around fear and division.
Republican strategist Doug Heye said the reaction from GOP lawmakers this time was unusual and showed how serious the situation had become. The video, he said, was a “colossal mistake” that even Trump’s supporters couldn’t ignore.
A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment.
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