Understanding the February 2026 Truth Social Incident
In early February 2026, during Black History Month, President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shared a video that combined election-related claims with imagery depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as primates—a form of racist imagery with deep historical roots in racial dehumanization.
The White House initially defended the post before attributing it to an error by a staffer and removing it approximately 12 hours after publication. President Trump declined to apologize, stating he had reviewed only “the beginning” of the content and found it acceptable.
The incident prompted bipartisan responses from lawmakers, civil rights organizations, and political figures across the ideological spectrum. This tracker documents the public record of those responses using official statements, government records, and first-hand communications.
What the Video Contained: Specific Details
The posted video lasted one minute and two seconds. Its primary focus involved claims regarding the 2020 presidential election—specifically allegations about voting machine problems and election fraud. At approximately the 59-second mark, the content shifted. The footage bore the watermark “Patriot News Outlet” and originated from a meme account known as Xerias. The original depicted Trump as a “lion” while portraying other Democratic figures, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, as different animals. The version Trump shared contained only the Obamas superimposed on cartoon primates.
Why This Imagery Matters Historically
Comparing Black people to primates is a well-documented racist trope dating back centuries. This imagery was used historically to justify systemic inequality, slavery, and denial of human rights. Depictions and caricatures of Black people as monkeys or apes were used during the Jim Crow era (1865 to mid-20th century) to justify segregation and unequal rights. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, made racist pseudo-scientific claims in “Notes on the State of Virginia” comparing Black people to primates. President Eisenhower, in a private conversation in 1954 discussing school desegregation, expressed that white southerners were concerned about their daughters being in classrooms with “big overgrown Negroes.” Former President Obama was featured as a monkey or primate on merchandise during his candidacy and presidency.
Trump’s Adversarial Relationship with the Obamas
Trump’s contentious relationship with former President Barack Obama extends back over a decade. During the 2012 presidential re-election campaign, Trump became a prominent voice pushing the “birther” conspiracy theory—the false and debunked claim that Obama was not born in the United States. Trump repeatedly demanded that Obama produce birth records and prove he was a “natural-born citizen” as required by the Constitution. Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
In Trump’s 2024 campaign, he stated that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country,” language that historians have noted contains similarities to rhetoric used in fascist propaganda.
Truth Social and AI-Generated Political Content
Trump co-founded Truth Social in February 2022 following temporary bans from major social media platforms. On Truth Social, Trump frequently reposts memes and videos—including content generated through artificial intelligence—that promote his political platform. This incident raises questions about content moderation, the role of AI in political messaging, the responsibility of platform founders regarding offensive material, and whether such content should be labeled as AI-generated.
Political Timing: Election Year Context
The incident occurred as the country prepares for November midterm elections. Some Republican officials, including Representative Lawler of New York, face challenging re-election campaigns. The timing drew criticism from observers who noted the incident happened during Black History Month—a period dedicated to honoring the contributions of Black Americans to U.S. history and culture.
About These Sources
This coverage was compiled using first-hand official statements, government records, and direct communications from the individuals and organizations listed below. Only primary sources and first-hand accounts were used—no third-party media interpretations served as source material for facts presented here.
Government & Official Sources
Official briefings, fact sheets, statements from the Press Secretary, and presidential communications.
Official statements from U.S. Senate member representing South Carolina and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Official statements from House Minority Leader and Democratic member from New York.
Official member statements and communications from Senate and House members who responded to the incident.
Civil Rights Organizations
Organization dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights in America. Rev. Bernice King, MLK’s daughter, serves as CEO.
Civil rights organization that issued statements regarding the incident through National President Derrick Johnson.
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What the Record Shows
In early February 2026, during Black History Month, President Trump’s Truth Social account shared a video combining election-related claims with a racist depiction of the Obamas. The White House initially defended the content before removing it and attributing the post to a staffer error. Trump declined to apologize, stating he had not viewed the full video. The incident prompted bipartisan calls for accountability from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, as well as responses from civil rights organizations. The post was removed approximately 12 hours after being published.
This incident reflected ongoing patterns of political discourse involving disputed content on social media platforms and the use of AI-generated material in political messaging. The specific imagery employed has historical roots in racial dehumanization tactics documented throughout American history.
Documentation of this incident exists through official government statements, congressional records, civil rights organization communications, and reporting by multiple news organizations. The events occurred during the lead-up to the 2026 midterm election cycle.
