Unpacking the Recent Presidential Social Media Controversy In early February 2026, President Trump reposted a video on Truth Social promoting election theories, which included a brief clip superimposing the Obamas' faces on apes. The post was deleted after 12 hours, attributed to a staffer's error by the White House. Trump stated he hadn't seen the offensive segment and declined to apologize. This incident echoes historical racist tropes comparing Black individuals to primates, dating back centu

Vice President JD Vance said the video shared by President Trump on his Truth Social account depicting the Obamas as apes "is not a real controversy." When asked if the president should apologize after lawmakers from both parties said the post was "racist" and called for it to be deleted, he said, "No, I don't think so." "I think people post things on social media, and if you post something, you don't like it you can just take it down," Vance said. "And that's what he did." | CBS News