A February 2026 Political Incident: What Happened and Why It Matters
In early February 2026, during Black History Month, President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shared a video containing election-related claims alongside imagery widely condemned as racist by lawmakers and civil rights groups. The incident triggered an immediate response from Republican senators and House Democratic leadership who called for accountability.
The post was eventually removed and attributed to staff error by the White House, but President Trump declined to personally apologize. The incident brought renewed attention to the use of artificial intelligence-generated content in political messaging and the persistence of historical racial dehumanization tactics in national political discourse.
This tracker presents a chronological breakdown of the events, official statements from lawmakers and civil rights organizations, historical context, and primary sources used in reporting this incident.
Interactive Response Tracker
Select a tab below to explore the timeline, statements, historical context, or source materials.
Video Posted to Truth Social
A 62-second video was posted to President Trump’s Truth Social account. The clip, bearing the watermark “Patriot News Outlet,” combined claims about the 2020 election with an AI-generated image. At approximately the 59-second mark, the Obamas’ faces appeared superimposed onto cartoon primates, set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (1961).
White House Initial Response
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed early criticism as “fake outrage.” She characterized the video as an “internet meme” depicting Trump as the “King of the Jungle” with Democrats as characters from “The Lion King.” She stated: “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
Bipartisan Condemnation Begins
Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina posted on X: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.” Democrats similarly called for removal and GOP condemnation.
Post Removed from Account
The video was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account following sustained bipartisan pressure. A White House official stated the post had been shared “erroneously” by a staffer. The account had previously shared other AI-generated or meme-style content.
President’s Statement on Air Force One
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated he had only watched the beginning of the video and was unaware of the offensive content. When asked if he would apologize, he said: “No, I didn’t make a mistake. I look at thousands of things. I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.”
Extended Republican Reaction and Civil Rights Response
Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska stated that “a reasonable person sees the racist context” and called for a formal apology. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the post as blatantly racist. Additional Republican voices including Senators Roger Wicker and John Curtis also demanded accountability.
Official Statements from Lawmakers and Organizations
Direct quotes from senators, representatives, and civil rights leaders responding to the incident.
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.
Related Content on CruxBuzz
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.
