US President Donald Trump said he briefly saw a now-deleted video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes but claimed he didn’t make a mistake by posting it. The brief clip was shared late Thursday night on Trump’s social media account, sparking speculation about whether the blame lay with him or his aide Natalie Harp.
The video invoked racist tropes, showing the Obamas’ faces superimposed on cartoon ape bodies dancing to a song. Trump claimed he handed it off to an unidentified staffer who posted it, but he won’t fire that person and refuses to apologize.
Only two of Trump’s aides have access to his social media account: Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino. Trump’s advisers focused on Harp as the likely culprit behind posting the video, as she has previously been criticized for poor judgment.
However, in a call with Senator Tim Scott, Trump shifted blame to the staffer and promised to delete the video. The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment, fueling more speculation about the incident.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/white-house-blame-trump-racist-video