A video showing former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama’s faces superimposed onto the bodies of dancing primates was posted to the president’s Truth Social account on February 5, and was later removed after backlash. The White House said a staffer “erroneously” posted it and that it was taken down several hours after appearing.
Sen. Tim Scott wrote on X that the post was “the most racist thing” he had seen from the White House and said the president should remove it. Sen. Katie Britt wrote on X that the content “should have never been posted” and that it was “not who we are as a nation.”
CNN reported that the president complained to allies at Mar-a-Lago about Scott and used expletives about Britt, with one source saying he said she was “dead” to him. Britt’s office called the reporting “fake news” and emphasized her voting record with the president. The president told reporters he would not apologize, said he “didn’t make a mistake,” and stated the staffer has not been fired.