Donald Trump sparks fury after reaching ‘new bottom’ with ‘disgusting’ racist post about Obamas

The image comes from a video that President Donald Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, on February 6, 2026. The video includes a moment where former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are shown as non-human primates. A screenshot from the clip quickly spread online and caused widespread outrage and disbelief.

Trump was met with intense criticism early Friday morning after people noticed the post. Many viewers described the video as openly racist and deeply offensive, saying it crossed a line that should never be crossed by anyone, let alone a sitting president. Critics said the post showed a level of cruelty and disrespect that reflected poorly on the presidency itself.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded publicly on X, calling the video “disgusting behavior by the President.” The statement urged all Republicans to speak out against it immediately, saying that remaining silent would make them complicit. The message made it clear that this was not a moment for vague statements or avoidance.

The video itself is about a minute long and repeats Trump’s false and widely debunked claim that the 2020 election was “rigged.” At the very end, there is a short clip lasting only a couple of seconds. In that clip, the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama are digitally placed onto the bodies of primates shown in a jungle setting, while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays in the background. Even though the clip is brief, many said its meaning was unmistakable and rooted in racist imagery.

A watermark on the video suggests it was created by an X user known as “Xerias,” a pro-Trump account with more than 45,000 followers. That user later claimed responsibility for creating the video and said it had been made months earlier, in October. Critics argued that this detail did not lessen the seriousness of Trump choosing to share it.

Reactions on social media were fast and angry. Political commentator Dean Withers wrote that Trump had posted an “incredibly racist” image and said that every day seemed to bring a new low. His words reflected a broader sense of exhaustion and outrage from people who felt that shocking behavior had become routine.

Journalist Wajahat Ali said the post removed any doubt about racism, not just from Trump but from the Republican Party as a whole. He argued that Trump sharing the video, along with the lack of immediate and forceful condemnation from many GOP leaders, showed exactly where they stood. To him, the silence was as telling as the post itself.

Others reacted with confusion and disbelief. Liberal commentator Brian Krassenstein wrote that the video clearly showed the Obamas portrayed as apes and called Trump a racist outright. He went on to criticize Trump supporters, saying that they often accuse others of racism while excusing behavior like this. He questioned how much more evidence was needed and asked when people would finally admit that they had supported someone deeply unfit for office.

Overall, the incident sparked a wave of anger, sadness, and frustration. Many people said it was another example of how political discourse had sunk to an alarming level, and they worried about the long-term damage caused by normalizing such behavior from the highest office in the country.