Trump Posted a Racist Obama Image — and Refused to Take It Back
Last week, Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States, posted a racist photo depicting former 44th President Barack Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Writers Kevin Liptak, Adam Cancryn, Alayna Treene, Alejandra Jaramillo, and Betsy Klein, in their 2026 article for CNN, “Trump Won’t Apologize For Sharing Since-Deleted Racist Video Depicting Obamas as Apes on Truth Social”, writes, “The video was posted late Thursday night, and remained online for nearly 12 hours, before the White House took it down amid bipartisan outrage, including from close Trump allies… President Donald Trump refused to apologize Friday after posting and then deleting a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, insisting he hadn’t seen the final frames containing the offensive content and blaming a staffer for the mistake.”
Racist Propaganda- No Suprise But a Signal
This is not the first time Donald Trump has been President. This is not the first time he actively promotes racist rhetoric on a social media platform. The fact that it basically went viral following its posting just hours before being taken down is a testament to the hyperawareness Americans have developed that blatantly calls out racist propaganda. The fact that Trump refused to apologize should not be a surprise but a signal.
A signal that this man feels no need to apologize for his actions. A signal that this man recognizes that his actions are harming the people he is supposed to serve as President; many of whom actually voted for him. A signal that his mind is elsewhere instead of the task at hand – “to faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and…preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Related: Trump Deletes Racist Post
Dehumanization of the African American Community
The imagery and the hate rhetoric behind it comes from a long history of the dehumanization of the African American community. With origins in the controversial study of eugenics, African Americans have often been stereotypically depicted as animals, specifically apes. Writer Kinsey Crowley and Melina Khan, in their 2026 article for USA Today, “Trump Shared Obama Ape Video. Here’s The Dark History Behind The Imagery”, writes, “In short, it’s dehumanizing, but its use in America’s history of slavery and segregation makes it particularly problematic…associating Black people with primates has origins in eugenics arguments that Black people were biologically inferior or a lesser human. (Eugenics theories have been widely debunked and denounced, especially after being used as justification in the Holocaust).”
Contrary Patriotic Belief
There have been several reports that claim the White House Administration is dealing with the incident accordingly and several news outlets have shed light on the story. But for the African American community, it sheds light on a truth many have known. That in fact, contrary to the patriotic belief, all men are not created equal.
