Overview
- President Trump’s account reposted a clip that briefly portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as apes within a longer video pushing debunked 2020 election-fraud claims, and the White House removed it after roughly 12 hours, calling it a staff error.
- Trump told reporters he would not apologize, said he viewed only the beginning of the video and described the post as strong on voter-fraud allegations, while adding when pressed that he condemns the racist imagery.
- Senior Catholic leaders Cardinal Blase Cupich and Archbishop Edward Weisenburger demanded an unequivocal presidential apology and rejected the White House’s initial characterization of criticism as “fake outrage.”
- Some Republicans publicly criticized the post, including Sen. Tim Scott, who called it “the most racist thing” he had seen from the White House, with others such as Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Turner urging an apology, as many GOP figures stayed silent.
- Civil-rights groups and commentators denounced the dehumanizing trope and noted the timing during Black History Month, keeping focus on the administration’s screening of social posts and its amplification of false election narratives.