Trump Offers Bizarre Excuse for Sharing Racist Obama Video, Claims It Had ‘Already Gone Viral’

The Inquisitr

President #DonaldTrump is doubling down on his decision to share a racially charged video that depicted former President #BarackObama and First Lady #MichelleObama as primates. During an EPA event on February 12, 2026, the President argued that he shouldn't be blamed for the content because the video was "already all over the place" for years before it hit his account. We analyze the #Inquisitr breakdown of the #MAHA health agenda’s role in this culture war, the #TimScott prayer for it to be "fake," and the White House’s "Lion King" defense. This #BreakingNews report explores the #Signalgate leaks regarding the staffer who reportedly posted the clip and why the President insists he "didn't make a mistake" by reposting a viral sensation.  #DonaldTrump #TruthSocial #BreakingNews #TrumpNews #Obama #LionKing #USPolitics #GOP #Democrats #Inquisitr #NewsUpdate #WashingtonDC #ViralVideo #SocialMediaReaction #2026Midterms #Trump2026 #VoterFraud #Signalgate #TimScott #BlackHistoryMonth #WhiteHouseBriefing #PoliticalScandal #TrendingNow #MAHA #NewsAnalysis #InsideTheWhiteHouse #DigitalDefense

Transcript

00:00Donald Trump defended his decision to post a controversial video from his Truth Social

00:04account that included racist imagery depicting former President Barack Obama and former First

00:09Lady Michelle Obama as apes. Donald Trump told reporters at the White House the clip

00:13had already been circulating online and argued it was part of a longer video focused on voter

00:18fraud claims. He also confirmed no staff members were disciplined, despite earlier statements

00:22suggesting an aide had mistakenly posted the material. The video appeared during a late

00:27night posting spree that included dozens of posts within a short time frame.

00:31While Trump said the footage had been widely shared for years, independent confirmation of that claim

00:35remains unclear. The clip primarily repeated false allegations about the 2020 election but ended with

00:41edited images of the Obamas set to music, sparking immediate backlash across political lines.

00:47Republican lawmakers including Tim Scott and Roger Wicker publicly criticized the post, urging its

00:52removal and calling the imagery unacceptable. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt initially

00:57dismissed criticism as fake outrage, but the post was removed hours later. Officials said a staffer

01:03was responsible, although only Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and advisor Natalie Harp are known to have

01:08access to Trump's account. The controversy followed additional posts highlighting Trump's relationships

01:13with prominent Black figures, including Diddy, Michael Jackson, and Mike Tyson. Trump has repeatedly

01:18claimed he has done more for Black Americans than anyone except Abraham Lincoln. While critics have

01:23pointed to past rhetoric and controversies, including attacks on athletes protesting racial injustice and

01:28altered images of Hakeem Jeffries that were widely condemned as racist, the Obamas did not respond publicly

01:34to the video, instead continuing to share unrelated social media content. The White House is expected to

01:39host a Black History Month reception next week amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding the incident. Follow for more

01:45political updates, don't forget to like and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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