President Donald Trump stirred fresh controversy on Saturday by reposting a message from far-right activist Laura Loomer that labeled former first lady Michelle Obama an “anti-white racist,” just days after the White House rushed to remove a racist video depicting the Obamas as primates.
On Feb. 21, 2026, Trump shared Loomer’s Truth Social message, which featured inflammatory remarks about both Michelle and former President Barack Obama. The post accused the Obamas of launching “witch hunts against Trump” and described Michelle Obama as an “anti-White racist,” while highlighting the former president’s full name, “Barack Hussein Obama.”
The repost surfaced less than three weeks after Trump circulated a 62-second clip showing the Obamas’ faces imposed on primate bodies. That Feb. 5 video remained online for nearly 12 hours before bipartisan backlash pushed the White House to remove it and blame the upload on a staff member.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the primate video, dismissing criticism as exaggerated outrage and saying it stemmed from a meme that portrayed Trump as the King of the Jungle with Democrats cast as characters from The Lion King. Hours later, the administration reversed course and deleted the post.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after the video’s removal, Trump said he hadn’t watched the ending and refused to apologize. When asked if he condemned the video’s racist content, Trump replied, “Of course I do.”
The incidents unfolded during Black History Month, standing in stark contrast to Trump’s official proclamation honoring the accomplishments and impact of Black Americans.
The uproar surrounding the original video cut across party lines. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate’s only Black Republican, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who is white and represents the state with the highest percentage of Black residents, condemned the post as “totally unacceptable.”
NAACP President Derrick Johnson delivered a forceful rebuke: “Donald Trump’s video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable.”
Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., responded by sharing one of her father’s sayings: “Yes. I’m Black. I’m proud of it. I’m Black and beautiful.” She emphasized that Black Americans “are beloved of God as postal workers and professors, as a former first lady and president. We are not apes.”
Former President Obama addressed the matter for the first time in a podcast interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen that aired Saturday, Feb. 15. He was asked about the “de-evolution of the discourse” coming from the Trump administration, especially given the racist video.
The Saturday repost also included a demand from Trump aimed at Netflix, insisting the company remove board member Susan Rice. “Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences,” Trump wrote. “She’s got no talent or skills – purely a political hack!” Netflix did not directly respond to Trump’s criticism, but co-CEO Ted Sarandos told the BBC, “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal.”
Rice, who previously served as national security adviser and U.N. ambassador under Obama, first joined Netflix’s board in 2018, stepped away during the Biden administration, and returned in 2023. The company also maintains ties to the Obamas through its agreement with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions to create content for the platform.
Loomer’s original post alleged that if the pending Netflix–Warner Bros. merger is approved, “positive messaging of the Democrats’ upcoming witch hunts against Trump” would be “blasted across all streaming services as the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions continues to grow within Netflix.”
The controversy comes as Trump confronts increasing criticism over various policy decisions. The incidents have intensified questions about who has access to and influence over the president’s social media account, which he frequently uses to reveal policy changes, announce import taxes, and address the public directly.
With the State of the Union address nearing, the repeated racial controversies have dominated news coverage and sparked strong condemnations from civil rights organizations and lawmakers across the political spectrum, who argue that such rhetoric is unacceptable coming from the White House.
